Page 87, Baird: Small-Scale Fisheries Management in Southern Laos LOCAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SMALL-SCALE FRESHWATER FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN THE MEKONG RIVER IN SOUTHERN LAOS

Small-scale fishers possess a vast amount of local ecological knowledge (LEK) about the fish and fisheries of the Mekong River and tributaries in southern Laos. Between 1993 and 1999, a community-based co-management programme was implemented for the conservation and sustainable management of living aquatic resources in the Siphandone (4000 islands) Wetlands area of the Mekong River in Khong District, Champasak Province, southern Laos. In total, 63 villages established regulations related to living aquatic resources during the project, and local government has since officially recognised these regulations as constituting “village law”. Independent evaluations conducted regarding the fisheries co-management system established in Khong report that local people believe that aquatic resources have benefited from the varied regulations adopted in individual villages, and it seems likely that the system will continue to function into the future, although the effectiveness of local management varies from community to community. The aquatic resource co-management measures established in Khong have been largely based on LEK, and LEK has played an important role in community fisheries monitoring activities, and in adapting management regulations to meet local conditions. This paper describes how LEK can be practically applied, disseminated, and strengthened for improving freshwater fisheries management in rural communities in Laos and other countries in mainland Southeast Asia. Particular techniques for utilising LEK in assessing fish diversity, and for addressing important fisheries management issues are also described.