THE IMPACT OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON THE LIVELIHOODS OF FISHING COMMUNITIES OF THE TWO SUB-AREAS OF

IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN CA MAU PENINSULA, VIET NAM

Mai Viet Van, Tran Dac Dinh, Ngo Thuy Diem Trang, Huynh Van Hien Dang Thi Phuong, Nguyen Thanh Toan, Nguyen Thi Kim Quyen

19-23/10/2015 Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Can Tho University, Vietnam (mvvan@ctu.edu.vn)

IMPACT OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON THE LIVELIHOODS OF FISHING COMMUNITIES

FISHERIES RESOURCES BETTER MANAGEMENT & LIVELIHOODS IMPROVEMENT

4-6: Brackish-water Ecosystem

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1-3: Fresh-water Ecosystem

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Inside Outside Inside Outside

Freshwater ecosystem Brackishwater ecosystem

Sam

ple

size

(hou

seho

lds)

Dong Thang (1) Truong Long (2) Thoi Thanh (3)

An Trach (4) Phong Thanh Tay (5) Phong Thanh A (6)

The sample size

Diversi'es  of  income  sources      Livelihoods Freshwater

ecosystem Brackishwater

ecosystem Inside Outside Inside Outside

Mono rice 56,054.7 33,913.2 26.7 0.0

Upland crops 1,593.3 85 133.3 0.0

Orchard 3,168.3 200 0.0 0.0

Animal husbandry 7,246.3 14,271.2 6,004.0 3,090

Garden canal culture (fish) 788.3 24,182.2 1,400.0 2.4

Rice-Fish 0.0 1,783.3 19,966.7 12,132.5

Fishing 8,717.2 (11%)

17,983.4 (19%)

9,321.4 (25%)

26,097.8 (63%)

Other income 1,598.3 1,016.7 516.7 0.0

Total income (household per year)

79,166.5 93,434.9 37,368.8 41,322.7

Unit: 1,000 VND

Impacts  of  irriga'on  system  on  fish  and  shrimp  community  composi'ons  

§  A decrease of 3 economic fish species in the FE (as compared to Sinh, 2007)

§  A decrease of 25 economic fish species in the BW (as compared to Vo Thanh Toan, 2007)

Threatened species

Morulius chrysophekadion Toxotes chatareus

Notopterus notopterus

Arius maculatus

Channa lucius

Clarias batrachus

Clarias macrocephalus

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Inside Outside Inside Outside

Freshwater ecosystem Brackishwater ecosystem

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Fish Shrimp

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Inside Outside Inside Outside

Freshwater ecosystem Brackishwater ecosystem

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Fish Shrimp

Impact  of  irriga'on  system  on  wildfish  produc'on  and  fishing  gears  

Long trap net

Simple trap net

Electricity traw net Electricity shock

Inshore stake trap net Long fence trap net

Destructive fishing gears An increase of 6 fishing gears (as compared to Sinh et al., 2007)

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20.0

Insi

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FE

Insi

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Fresh water ecosystem

Brackishwater ecosystem

No.

of f

ishi

ng g

ear

0.0200.0400.0600.0800.0

1000.01200.01400.0

2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014

Inside Outside FE Inside Outside BE

Freshwater ecosystem Brackishwater ecosystem

Wild

fish

prod

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n (k

g/ye

ar/h

ouse

hold

)

Impacts of irrigation system on society

Descriptions Positive impacts Houses are not submerged in flooding season Easily transporting Facilitating trading, improving living Negative impacts Reducing income from wildfish capture Increasing food cost (due to natural resources decline) Health risks due to polluted water Conflicts of interest between shrimp-rice Recommendations of community Appropriate operating sluice gates for water transportation Addressing properly the conflict between rice & shrimp culture

Descriptions Positive impacts Preventing flooding Increasing number of crop, cultivation areas and yield Reducing input costs (pumping and draining water) Rice-fish co-culture (1 rice + 2 shrimp) Preventing salt water intrusion (for rice cultivation in BE areas) Negative impacts Resulting in infield surface water pollution Increasing pesticides/fertilizers accumulation Reducing sediment causing soil infertile Inappropriate operation of sluice gates causing salinization Recommendations of community Irrigation systems need to be constructed for production Zoning areas for rice shrimp farming Selecting salt-tolerant rice varieties Having a suitable operation schedule of irrigation system for rice and shrimp production

Impacts  of  irriga'on  system  on  rice  cul'va'on  

Impacts  of  irriga'on  system  on  aquaculture

Descriptions Positive impacts Managing aquaculture ponds in flooding season Supplying freshwater for aquaculture in brackish water ecosystem areas Easily controlling disease, preventing spreading to outside irrigation systems Negative impacts Water pollution due to less circulating water Lack of water in the dry season Slow growth of fish, shrimp Spreading disease between ponds Increasing pumping cost Less saline water for aquaculture in the rainy season Recommendations of community Operating sluice gates often to supply freshwater for aquaculture Appropriate water regulating in the dry season

SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF FISHERIES RESOURCES & IMPROVEMENT OF LIVELIHOODS FOR FISHER COMMUNITIES

Studied areas Solutions Freshwater ecosystems

1.  Increasing communities awareness in protection of fisheries resources

2.  Diversifying careers/jobs to attract workers in local unemployed

3.  Reducing capture pressure by increasing aquaculture; and/or compensating natural resources

4.  Appropriate operating irrigation systems for rice, aquaculture Brackishwater ecosystems

1.  Increasing communities awareness in protection of native species, threatened species and endangered species

2.  Vocational training for local unemployed to cope fisheries resources decline

3.  Zoning areas for rice shrimp farming (particularly in Ninh Quoi – Bac Lieu need to have anti-salt dike for stable rice production area).

4.  Selecting salt-tolerant rice varieties to rotate with shrimp in saline-soil.

5.  Enhancing the role of the communities in planning, operating/maintaining irrigation systems for production

Impact of irrigation system on wildfish capture production

Causes Freshwater ecosystem Brackishwater ecosystem

Inside Outside FE (aver.) Inside Outside BE (aver.) Sample size n=57 n=54 n=111 n=49 n=51 n=100 Creating barrier to fish migration (IS) 56.1 28.8 51.0 25.0 Using of destructive fishing gears 29.8 40.7 35.1 63.3 64.7 64.0 Intensive rice crops negatively affected in spawning grounds 35.1 25.9 30.6 Pesticides residues 36.8 14.8 26.1 Increasing number of fisherman 5.3 22.2 13.5 18.4 64.7 42.0 Capture fry and broodstock in the breeding season 29.8 27.8 28.8 42.9 56.9 50.0 Capture of non-econ. fish species for aquaculture feeding 68.5 33.3

0.0200.0400.0600.0800.0

1000.01200.01400.0

2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014 2010 2014

Inside Outside FE Inside Outside BE

Freshwater ecosystem Brackishwater ecosystem

Wild

fish

prod

uctio

n (k

g/ye

ar/h

ouse

hold

)

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Inside Outside FE Inside Outside BE

Freshwater ecosystem Brackishwater ecosystem

Rat

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Unit: %

Livelihood assets in the freshwater ecosystem

Livelihood assets in the brackishwater ecosystem

Livelihoods capital analysis of fisher households