Three-way collaboration accelerates marine farming in Cambodia

Cambodia’s emerging marine farming sector, known as mariculture, is gathering momentum with new skills and newfound confidence following a research collaboration involving Cambodia, Indonesia and Australia. 

The spark of collaboration 

The three-way project was initiated by Cambodian and Indonesian researchers who connected at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations fisheries workshop in Myanmar in 2014. 

They were Dr Asda Laining, from the Indonesian Research Institute for Coastal Aquaculture and Fisheries Extension (RICAFE), and Mr Somony Thay, Director of Cambodia’s Department of Aquaculture Development. 

Through conversations at the workshop, Dr Laining recognised that Indonesian aquaculture staff had expertise that Cambodia needed, much of it developed through ACIAR-supported projects. Mr Thay recognised ACIAR as a potential partner that could help develop Cambodia’s mariculture sector. 

Dr Mike Rimmer, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, had led many of the ACIAR-supported aquaculture projects in Indonesia. After Dr Laining and Mr Thay separately contacted him about a possible project, it sparked the first ACIAR-supported ‘South-South’ collaboration, featuring a knowledge exchange between Indonesia and Cambodia, with support from Australia. 

Dr Rimmer noted the advantages of Indonesia and Cambodia’s cultural and economic alignment as a key element of the collaboration.  

‘The Indonesians were well placed to understand the resource constraints and the technical challenges that Cambodia was facing and were able to incorporate that into the training they provided. That’s one of the advantages of these kinds of South-South collaborations. 

‘It’s a very different system to aquaculture in Australia, which is generally large-scale and relies on advanced technologies,’ said Dr Rimmer.

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Increased mariculture production  

The project included a review of operations of Cambodia’s Marine Aquaculture Research and Development Centre (MARDeC) in Cambodia. This aimed to improve the centre’s research capacity and ensure it could run effectively with Cambodian resources, rather than relying on imported expertise and materials.  

Changes implemented as part of the review, along with the improved staff skills, have helped the MARDeC team to more than double the production of Asian seabass fingerlings. 

Reliable, locally produced fingerlings supplement those imported from Thailand and Vietnam, which often have high mortality rates due to the long distances they travel. 

Smallholder fish farmers and medium-sized mariculture businesses raise Asian seabass in sea cages. The species, also known as barramundi, is one of the country’s main mariculture species.  

Mr Thay said increased staff capabilities were a lasting outcome from the ACIAR-supported mariculture project.  

‘Increasing production from aquaculture is a national priority. Building our human resource capacity is an essential part of that,’ said Mr Thay. 

FiA staff have also gained new skills in pest and disease diagnostics from training with Indonesian counterparts. This has expanded the on-farm technical support services they provide to farmers, and the speed with which they can respond to improve fish husbandry and disease management. 

Mr Thay noted that some staff involved in the training have gone on to further education or have become consultants. Their communication and networking skills have improved, and their growing confidence has helped to secure international funding for new projects to support both inland and marine aquaculture.