WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2016 55 rates, which will impact fish productivity. In both countries, traders and processors are concerned about more rainfall and storms because these will impact the supply and price of snakehead and their ability to transport or process fish. Adaptation strategies were similar for snakehead farmers and fishers, that is, change the production system. Farmers in Vietnam plan to adjust their culture system or stop growing snakehead and culture another species and fishers in Cambodia plan to change their fishing gear or target other fish species. Similarly, snakehead traders and processors in Cambodia and Vietnam plan to make changes in their purchasing patterns by buying other species or in other areas, which may increase their operating costs. In general, snakehead farming and fishing value chain actors in Vietnam and Cambodia perceived that government did not do enough to help them address the impacts of climate change and that the actors did not work together to address the impacts of climate change. Climate change will have mixed impacts on other actors in the value chain for snakehead. Input suppliers to snakehead farmers such as feed, seed, drugs/chemicals, construction and equipment may see an increase in business as a result of climate change as they supply more inputs. Aquaculture crop insurance, not currently available, may be made available once risk is assessed. If farmers are forced to abandon their aquaculture operations as a result of either market forces or climate change impacts, there may be a resulting negative impact on employment and livelihoods in the region and nationally. However, if farmers can adapt and possibly shift to other species, the impact on employment and livelihood may be lessened. Because of the lack of information and high levels of uncertainty, it is extremely difficult to make any accurate projections on economic gains and losses for snakehead actors as a result of climate change. It can be assumed that costs will increase and squeeze profit margins. With or without climate change, due to the increased costs of land and pond construction, new aquaculture entrants will most likely have higher total costs of production than existing growers, making them less competitive. It is important to note that while the focus of this study was on snakehead capture and culture, similar impacts, vulnerability and adaptation strategies may be felt by fishers and farmers who target other fish species. For example, fishers who target snakehead fish in Cambodia also target other fish species and snakehead farmers in Vietnam also culture other species such as Pangasius catfish. Acknowledgments This research was funded by the AquaFish Innovation Lab under USAID CA/LWA No. EPP-A-00-06-00012-00 and by US and Host Country partners. The original article was published in Aquaculture Economics and Management: Hap Navy, Truong Hoang Minh and Robert Pomeroy (2016): Impacts of climate change on snakehead fish value chains in the Lower Mekong Basin of Cambodia and Vietnam. Notes Hap Navy, Inland Fisheries and Research Development Institute, Fisheries Administration, Phnom Penh, Cambodia E-mail: hapnavy@yahoo.com Truong Hoang Minh, College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Can Tho University, Cantho, Vietnam, Tel: 84 918193646, E-mail: thminh@ctu.edu.vn Robert Pomeroy (corresponding author), University of ConnecticutAvery Point, Agricultural and Resource Economics/CT Sea Grant, Room 380, Marine Science Building, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340-6048 USA, Tel: 860-405-9215, E-mail: robert.pomeroy@uconn.edu References Hoanh, C.T., K. Jirayoot, G. Lacombe and V. Srinetr. 2010. Impacts of climate change and development on Mekong flow regime, First assessment – 2009. MRC Technical Paper No. 29. Mekong River Commission, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Keskinen, M., S. Chinvanno, M. Kummu, P. Nuorteva, A. Snidvongs, O. Varis and K. Vastila. 2010. Climate change and water resources in the Mekong River Basin: putting adaptation into the context. Journal of Water and Climate Change 1:103-117. Lauri, H., H. de Moel, P.J. Ward, T.A. Räsänen, M. Keskinen and M. Kummu. 2012. Future changes in Mekong River hydrology: impact of climate change and reservoir operation on discharge. Hydrology and Earth System Science 16(12):46034619. Sinh, L.X., H. Navy and R.S. Pomeroy. 2014. Value chain of snakehead fish in the Lower Mekong Delta of Cambodia and Vietnam. Aquaculture Economics and Management 18:76-96. Vastila, K., M. Kummu, A. Snidvongs and S. Chinvanno. 2010. Modelling climate change impacts on the flood pulse in the Lower Mekong floodplains. Journal of Water and Climate Change 1:67-86. FIGURE 5. The percentage distribution of perceived climate change events for value chain actors in snakehead capture fisheries in Cambodia. FIGURE 6. Vulnerability assessment matrix of fishermen in Cambodia.
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