Colonial System of Fish Exploitation in Cambodia:
How Did it Start?
Date: 21 November 2014
Time: 6 - 7.30 pm
Venue:
CKS Phnom Penh
234 Street 450
Tuol Tumpung II, Chamkamorn,
Phnom Penh
Please Confirm attendance by 21/11/2014
Email: puthea_sim[atmark]khmerstudies.org or call 023 991 937
Abstract:
In March 2012, the government of Cambodia announced the abolishment of all the fishing lots throughout the country. This “deep and historical fishery reform” was widely broadcasted and reported. However, little is known about the history of fishery lots in Cambodia and how it actually functioned.
Founded in the late 19th century, the system has evolved significantly through time. During the period of the French Protectorate, the management and exploitation of fishing lots were predominantly under Chinese and Vietnamese control. While the main objective of the French Administration was to collect tax from lot owners, there were also indications that, to some extent, the system protected small-scale Cambodian fishermen from being exploited by Chinese and Annamite lot owners. Using primary and archival data, Thol Dina will examine the early days of Cambodia’s fishery resource administration in the country and discuss lessons learned from fisheries management and people’s resistance to the implementation of the fishing lots system.
Thol Dina recently graduated (2014) from the University of Tokyo, Japan, majoring in International Studies. His research interests include natural resource policy and politics, community-based resource management, history, and anthropology. He recently published two articles on the fisheries politics and the commons management in the Journal of Development Studies and the International of the Commons.
