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Fisheries Research and Conservation Across the Mekong Basin

FISHBIO began work in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in 2009, and has since expanded to work throughout Southeast Asia. Our work draws on local and international technical expertise to build capacity for research and conservation by sharing knowledge and tools. Our team provides consulting and technical services for clients and partners that include private sector companies, universities, and NGOs.

Research

Our investigations include the movements, habitat use, diet, reproduction, life-history patterns, and species interactions of freshwater fishes. Our team can design both rapid assessments and long-term studies, as well as conduct quantitative analyses and desktop reviews. Our experience spans fish diversity and abundance studies, evaluating ecosystem services, aquaculture development, livelihood improvement options, habitat surveys, and GIS mapping. We are proficient in traditional fisheries sampling methods and fish-catch monitoring, as well as the application of technologies such as environmental DNA.

Monitoring

We offer services for monitoring fish populations and the aquatic community before, during, and after hydropower project construction to inform sustainable hydropower management. Our team is experienced in both river and reservoir fisheries monitoring, and have worked with community members to develop participatory environmental monitoring programs for fish catches and aquatic insects. We have also developed protocols for project evaluation, and our staff can also provide monitoring program reviews, data quality control and analysis, and bilingual database development.

Conservation and Capacity Building

We are experienced in the establishment of community-managed Fish Conservation Zones (FCZs) as tools for protecting habitat, conserving fish biodiversity, and improving food security. Our team specializes in community consultations to develop participatory FCZ regulations; facilitating FCZ approval, establishment, and enforcement; and evaluating FCZ effectiveness. Our staff also participates in outreach and engagement activities that range from local community education programs to international collaborative initiatives. We have facilitated trainings and workshops on topics such as fish catch monitoring, water quality and aquatic macroinvertebrate monitoring, community fisheries management strategies, and identifying fish research and conservation priorities.

Key Contact:
Sinsamout Ounboundisane | Program Director/Fisheries Biologist
Email Sinsamout | +(856) 202325-3539

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