2019 Resolution, Mr Om Savath, Executive Director, FACT

Established in 2000, Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT) is a coalition of NGOs working on fisheries and environmental issues around Tonle Sap Lake, the Mekong River and Cambodia’s marine regions along its coastline. It conducts advocacy initiatives regarding fisheries issues and monitors policy reforms.

In 2019, FACT will implement the final segment of its 5-year practical plan (2015–2019). Its objectives for this year include a strong determination to achieve all aspects of this ambitious strategic plan:

1. Strengthening community-based organizations (CBOs) through the conducting of workshops and training sessions and, especially, urging the national experts to accept the qualifications of CBOs.
2. Building more networks with civil society entities and NGO partners working in the fisheries sector (currently 45 NGOs).
3. Focusing on their conservation outreach where FACT is implementing activities on 84 locations with relevant partners such as the EU or IUCN,
4. Strengthening good governance in the fisheries sector to encourage people to be more responsible for their fishing.
5. Publishing case studies of fisheries and the impact of climate change on them, as well as climate-change mitigation, to share experience.
6. Empowering local communities, enhancing their standard of living, through the provision of training sessions, vocational orientation in such areas as building ecotourism sites or introducing means to ensure longer storage of fisheries products. The objective is to help the local people reduce their dependency on fisheries activities alone.
7. Improving the quality of fisheries products by complying with recognized standards. The local communities will be helped when their products meet such standards, and their income will increase accordingly.
8. Focusing on gender equality, engage in discussion on the fair, sustainable social development focus inherent in our projects.
9. Improving the coalition internally by strengthening staff capacity, creating a management board for the team members, as well as increasing and strengthening the financial monitoring and evaluating team to ensure transparency and loyalty.