On May 1-10, under the guidance of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center, MARA. FFRC sent an expert team led by Prof. ZHU Jian, to visit fishery-related organizations and enterprises in Cambodia.

The expert team visited fishing communities and protected areas, pond culture farms, cage culture farms, aquaculture seed farms, fish wharves, industrialized aquaculture farms, marine water Eucheuma muricatum farmers, Basa catfish primary processing workshops and Cambodian Marineculture Research and Development Center for investigation. The expert team conducted discussions with more than 40 fishery technicians and management officers and 220 people working on fishery industry in Cambodia. They exchanged on the current status of capture and aquaculture in Cambodia, the development of fishery markets, policies on fishery resources conservation, enhancement and releasing, fishery production models, fisheries industry chain, application of fishery production technologies and operation model of fishery farms.

According to the in-depth analysis of the main strengths-weaknesses and the opportunities-challenges of fishery development in Cambodia, the expert team put forward constructive suggestions on how to promote the revitalization of the aquatic seed industry vitalization, strengthen fishery resource conservation, develop the green and low-carbon rice-fish industry cluster and improve aquatic product import-export trade system.

The expert team travelled over 3,000 km through 10 provinces of Cambodia, including Takeo, Kampot, Sihanouk, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Kampong Thom and Kandal. Counsellor Wu Guoquan and First Secretary Wang Xiangshe participated in the field trips and put forward specific work requirements for China-Cambodia fishery cooperation. Deputy Director Dr. Hav Viseth and Dr. Somony Thay from the Fishery Bureau of Cambodia, also accompanied the expert team for the technical investigation.

It is the longest and most extensive industrial research in one country carried out by FFRC, Training Reference Centre for Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries Research of FAO. This investigation implemented the important instructions delivered by President XI Jinping, and also provided strong support for the further implementation of South-South cooperation projects and the conduction of international cooperation in the field of fisheries.