Cambodia

Life on and around Tonle Sap

Name: Peng Hay
Age: 50-60 years
Occupation: Medical Professional

Peng Hay

My name is Peng Hay. My parents were born in Vietnam and migrated to Battambang Province where I was born. I went to school until 1963 and when I finished I became a fisherman. I used to fish outside the front of my house, where I was able to catch lots of fish. My job today is different; I work as a medical professional and help the fishermen.

When I was a child I used to use the 'gill fish net' and the ‘hook and line' fishing methods. Our family still uses the gill net, but the grids are much smaller than the ones we used to use. We use a very small gill net and with this we can catch all kinds of fish, big or small.

Today we have to go fishing together, for example, one family of five to seven people fish together. The fish catches are not rich like they used to be, so if you go alone you will not catch anything. The fish are not big like they used to be, actually, they are getting smaller and smaller. The type of fishing gear we use is illegal, but if you don't use it, you can't catch the fish. When I was younger a gill net 100 metres long would catch over 10 kilograms of fish, now the gill net is over 1 kilometre long and we catch between 7 to 10 kilograms. This fishing gear is very destructive, but there is not the same amount of food available today as when I was a child so we have to use it.

I think one of the main reasons fish numbers are dropping is because there are more people living on and around the lake. There is also a problem with contaminants such as human waste and pollutants from the boats. This is why we can't drink the water anymore. This creates more competition for the fish and affects our livelihoods.

Nowadays life is more difficult. For example, my sons used to also fish but now they go to Siem Reap to be construction workers and to work as waiters in restaurants and hotels. Lots of people have to move in to town to find jobs and have an income. If more local people could find jobs to make a living (and be less reliant on the lake for their food) then the fish might have a chance to increase in the future.