Prahok Season Begins, Rise in Fish Catches Anticipated
Buyers have gathered to purchase fish for a fermented fish paste known locally as prahok as its season began.
- By Chhum Chantha
- December 19, 2023 11:55 AM
PHNOM PENH – The ‘Prahok’ fishing season starts on Dec.19 with the prediction of an increase in fish catches along the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers.
The fisheries administration of the Agriculture Ministry said from Dec. 19 to 25, fish start to move from the lakes or streams to the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac rivers, which is favorable for fish catches, even though heavy rain or storms could disrupt the fish migration.
Pum Sotha, director-general of the Fisheries Administration, said the amount of small fish, which are suitable for prahok, in the Tonle Sap Lake is likely to be higher than last year.
Early observations run in Dec. 18 suggested that between 400 and 800 kilograms of fish were migrating every hour in some areas of Cambodia’s main rivers.
He said it was because several fishing crimes had been cracked down while illegal fishing gear had been banned.
“The weather and the water level are similar last year,” said Sotha. “However, due to the ban of the large illegal fishing gear, the fish catch is likely to increase.”
The Cambodia Fisheries Administration reported 383,050 kilograms of fish caught in 2021, a 7.3 percent decrease compared to 2020. But catches increased last year, with a total of 406,400 kilograms of fish in the nets.
Prahok has long been an important traditional ingredient in Cambodian gastronomy. The season in which fish are caught to produce prahok begins in December and ends in February.
Teng Yalirozy contributed to the story.
