Background
On 11 May 2026, Deputy Secretaries Hass Saret (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) and Pen Thiroung (Ministry of Economy and Finance) co‑chaired the fourth steering committee meeting for the coastal fisheries and sustainable shoreline project. The project is financed under loan and grant frameworks from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
The project combines physical coastal infrastructure with community fisheries management and market‑chain measures, including installation of artificial fish shelters, development of marine aquaculture without feed, support for vessel monitoring systems (VMS), and construction of local fisheries administration offices. Meeting records note implementation targets such as expanding culture or habitat interventions to roughly 3,250 hectares and reaching up to 20,000 coastal households through economic and capacity‑building activities.
Key Developments
Steering committee members reviewed accelerated 2026 implementation activities focused on deploying artificial fish shelters designed to increase local marine stock and habitat presence for species such as groupers and snappers. The committee recommended faster roll‑out of cageless aquaculture techniques, strengthened community management capacity, and continued support for VMS to improve monitoring of fishing activity.
Participants confirmed plans to build fisheries sub‑district offices, finalize local fishery development plans, and promote value‑chain interventions to connect coastal producers with markets. The meeting also emphasized measures to strengthen women’s roles in fisheries entrepreneurship and to coordinate cross‑sectoral agencies for plan delivery.
Institutional Role
The steering committee brought together national and provincial institutions including the General Directorate of Fisheries, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Ministry of Land Management, the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, the Ministry of Health, provincial deputy governors from four coastal provinces, the project implementation team, and a technical advisory group. ADB and AFD serve as the project’s principal financiers and partners in technical oversight under the agreed financing frameworks.
Operational Implications
Acceleration of shelter installation and aquaculture activities implies intensified field coordination, permitting, and monitoring at provincial and commune levels to meet the project indicators. Continued investment in VMS and local administrative offices is intended to support operational monitoring and community engagement, while value‑chain initiatives target improved market access for coastal fisheries producers.
Official Source
Meeting summary published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on 11 May 2026 (MAFF Facebook post).
