Framing fishery decline

Fishery decline is interpreted in a number of ways. These interpretations vary considerably from one observer to another, depending on the level at which each interacts with the fishery. Fish stock assessments, predominantly carried out through environmental impact statements, are often not sensitive to the interpretations of fishery decline given by fishers themselves. This paper compares different interpretations of fisheries decline given by a variety of actors in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. These include studies carried out by the Mekong River Commission Fisheries Program, environmental impact studies for hydropower dams, riparian government estimates and interviews with fishers. It is found that reports of decline are contingent on social, cultural and environmental factors which are often not reflected in formal assessments of subsistence-based artisanal fisheries