Regional Consultation Meeting on the final draft Guideline to prioritizing Fish Passage Barriers (January 11, 2021)

Phnom Penh: MRC Secretariat had organized the Regional Consultation Meeting on the final draft Guideline to prioritizing Fish Passage Barriers and Creating Fish Friendly Irrigation Structures in the Lower Mekong Basin, via VIDEO Conference. The Meeting is presided over and leaded by Mr. Bounttien Sanaxonh, Director of Planning Division, MRC Secretariat and participated by MRC Secretariat staff, Four National Experts Group Members from each Member Country, Agriculture and Irrigation Specialist (AIS), International Technical Advisor (ITA), and Four National Consultants for the Country Paper (Annex). The National Expert Group from Cambodia leaded by His Excellency Mr. Kol Vathana, Deputy Secretary General, Cambodia National Mekong Committee (CNMC), participated by representatives from the Department of Hydrology and River Works, MOWRAM; and the Representatives from Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Marin Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Fisheries Technical Research Division, MAFF; CNMC General Secretariat Staff; and National Consultant.

The Meeting Objectives are as follow:

- Share the testing Activities conducted at the demonstration sites funded by US-DOI, ADB, and ACIAR;

- Review the first draft Guideline and discuss it for refining; and

- Discuss the follow-up of the Guideline under the MRC Strategic Plan 2021-2025 based on the draft Regional Activities Plan.

The Meeting had listened and discussed the following topics.

1. Summary Project Concept, scope of activities and progress;

2. Member Countries’ Papers;

3. The draft Guideline to prioritizing Fish Passage Barriers and Creating Fish Friendly Irrigation Structures in the Lower Mekong Basin; and

4. The Concept of the Regional Activities Plan and Schedule of Activity 2.1.3.1.