Priority knowledge needs for management of migratory fish species in Cambodia

Abstract

Despite their economic and ecological importance, migratory fishes of the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) remain understudied, which hampers effective management to sustain valuable fisheries and address serious threats such as habitat degradation, development and overharvest. From a list of potential knowledge needs, a group of fisheries professionals most frequently identified six top priorities for managing migratory fishes in Cambodia: (1) population abundances and trends, (2) life cycles and life history, (3) migration timing and triggers, (4) migration routes and distances, (5) locations of key habitats and spawning areas, and (6) environmental and habitat requirements. These needs are discussed along with nine relevant methodologies for addressing them, including fisheries‐dependent and fisheries‐independent sampling, reproductive techniques and captive studies, otolith and genetic analysis tools, and tagging and imaging techniques. A suggested research framework is also presented to inform adaptive management of migratory fishes. While emphasis is given to Cambodia, the analysis is also applicable to other LMB countries, given that migratory fishes occur throughout the basin and migrate across borders. It is suggested that a robust research and monitoring agenda is required to prioritise knowledge needs and select appropriate methodologies to answer questions vital to inform sustainable migratory fish management in Cambodia.

Assessing the Impacts of Changing Connectivity of Hydropower Dams on the Distribution of Fish Species in the 3S Rivers, a Tributary of the Lower Mekong

“…The projections made in this study are limited by the inadequate understanding of the behaviour of migratory species, or in simple terms, their migratory guild. Loury has identified six top priorities for developing this understanding for managing migratory fishes in Cambodia: (1) population abundances and trends, (2) life cycles and life history, (3) migration timing and triggers, (4) migration routes and distances, (5) locations of key habitats and spawning areas, and (6) environmental and habitat requirements [60].…”

Grand challenges in entomology: Priorities for action in the coming decades

“…Similar collaborative exercises to identify knowledge needs or challenges have provided agendas to shape future research programmes (Dicks, Bardgett, et al, 2013 on sustainable agriculture and Loury et al, 2021 on the management of migratory fish species in Cambodia) or helped to shape responses to an emerging or urgent problem (Morris et al, 2017 on bark beetle outbreaks). Jucker et al ( 2018 ) found that for 45 of the 100 questions on global biodiversity conservation prioritised by Sutherland et al ( 2009 ), >100 review papers had subsequently been published related to each, demonstrating significant research effort, potentially catalysed by the process.…”

“…grammes(Dicks, Bardgett, et al, 2013 on sustainable agriculture andLoury et al, 2021 on the management of migratory fish species in Cambodia) or helped to shape responses to an emerging or urgent problem(Morris et al, 2017 on bark beetle outbreaks). Jucker et al…”