Cambodia is set to reduce exports of fishery products by 20% this year in order to cater for rising domestic demand, industry officials said Monday (Apr 26).

Nao Thuk, director general of the General Department of Fishery Administration, said the country would export 24,000 tonnes of seafood this year but declined to reveal the scale of domestic demand.

Last year Cambodia exported 30,000 tonnes of seafood, which included fish, lobster, sea crab and shrimp, according to a report by the fishery administration. This compared to 2008, when only 5,000 tonnes were exported.

Exports in 2009 earned Cambodia US$30 million as products entered markets in Australia, the US, China, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Increasing exports have, in the past, echoed a rise in production.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported that in 2009, the country harvested a total of 515,000 tonnes of seafood, compared to 431,000 tonnes the previous year.

The government's decision was praised by the NGO community, saying that catering for the domestic population before setting export amounts would ensure food security in the future.

Cambodia, which has rich resources of freshwater and sea fish, would be able to generate revenue between US$40-60 million per year from exports if local demand were not accounted for, according to Thuk.