Fishery productivity and its contribution to overall agricultural production in the Lower Mekong River Basin
Abstract
The Mekong River and its ecosystems have one of the most diverse and abundant fisheries in the world. The fisheries are a major factor in the well-being and livelihoods of the nearly 70 million people especially in the lower Mekong Basin who derive their livelihood from fishery and also depend on fish and other aquatic animals for nutrition and food security.
This working paper analyses the fishery productivity of the basin both spatially and temporally. We compare the contribution of fisheries to the overall agricultural production with those of the crop and the livestock sectors, and we discuss the level of likely future demand and the prospects for the fisheries of the basin to meet the demand.
After an introductory section, in Section 2, we review the available literature and data, including official statistics of production. In Section 3 we discuss the information on fish production and consumption, and the spatial and temporal trends. In Section 4 we review future demand, and the threats to and opportunities for fish production. In Section 5 we draw conclusions.
Citation
Research for development series, R4D paper 03. The CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 48 pp.
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