Vulnerability and Migration of Small-Scale Fishing and Fishing-Farming Households around Tonle Sap Lake

Abstract

More than one million people live near the Tonle Sap Lake and many of them, in particular, small scale fishing households, are dependent on fish resources to secure their livelihood. However, in recent years, the declining fish stocks in the lake have been reported to have made it difficult for fishing dependent households to meet basic needs and survive shocks, causing them to become more vulnerable. One of livelihood strategies to minimize this vulnerable situation is migration. This thesis investigates the extent to which migration, as a livelihood strategy, has been adopted by both small scale fishing and fishing-farming households to reduce vulnerability around the Tonle Sap Lake. This study applied the framework of “Drivers of Migration”, by Black et al (2011) and was conducted using a qualitative case study approach in Prek Trob village of Battambang province in Cambodia. The study found that, when the fish stock declined and when there were harvesting problems, there was a need for the study community to respond to the problem by diversifying sources of income. Migration, as livelihood strategy, was one response adopted by this community as it had the potential to minimize the livelihood vulnerability. The movement of people was driven by multiple triggers and interacting drivers of migration including environmental, social, economic, demographical, and political in both areas of origin and destination. Remittances that were sent home were reported to be useful to pay back debts, purchase food and pay for the cost of farming production, especially for fishing-farming households. The research revealed that Thailand has increasingly become a work destination of choice for both fishers and fisher-farmers and that there was a pattern of short-term, seasonal and long-term migration Those that to migrated for work preferred to do so illegally because they were able to save time and money especially when the cost of passports and traveling was high. This case study has revealed two main policy implications: livelihood vulnerability and migration. It was found that the level of vulnerability had a close link with resource degradation and limited access to fish and land resources. Migration was another critical area for policy makers. The illegal preference for migration to Thailand for employment implied a weakness of migration and employment policies as well as slow implementation of policies by government ministries and departments. It, therefore, required the revisiting of relevant policies to reduce vulnerability of households through improving equitable access to potentially fishery resources, farming and land and minimizing the risks of migration.