Fish Marketing Studies at Nam Houm and Nam Souang Reservoirs

Up till now a detailed survey of fish marketing in Nam Houm and Nam Souang Reservoirs is yet to be implemented. Few data and information on fish marketing have been collected. It is necessary to understand insightfully the fish marketing systems in the reservoirs, as they are the potential main source of income for Reservoir Fisheries Management Committees (RFMC). This fish marketing survey was implemented with the collaboration of Challenge Program on Water & Food (CPWF), Management of River and Reservoir Fisheries (MRRF) and Living Aquatic Resources Research Center (LARReC) in 2005. The result shows that the fish marketing systems in Nam Houm and Nam Souang Reservoirs are in transition of change from the private company contracted to the public sectors i.e. RFMCs. The new fish marketing systems appear to be different from the previous ones in the way that RFMCs will act as contractors and sub-contractors (wholesalers) at the same time. A Follow-up study is required to monitor how the fish marketing systems in Nam Houm and Nam Souang Reservoirs change. One challenge question would focus on how RFMCs create and administrate the funds collected from the fish marketing so that they can use these funds effectively and sustainably in supporting reservoir fisheries management activities in the near future.