Cambodia fish exports earning up despite output decline in 2011

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 30,000 tons of fresh and processed fish in 2011, down 14 percent from 2010 figure of 35,000 tons, Nao Thuok, director general of the Fisheries Administration, said Tuesday.

The country's fish exports earning totaled 60 million U.S. dollars last year, up 50 percent from its 2010 revenue of 40 million dollars, he added.

In 2011, the average price for a ton of fish was about 2,000 dollars, up from 2010 price of some 1,150 dollars.

Cambodians claim the amount of fishcatch dropped this year, but govt officials claimed the opposite

Prahok fishes are more abundant than last year but price doubles because of inflation

A view of a place where prahok fishes are being prepared in Phsar Krom market, Kampong Chhnang city (Photo: Rithisen)

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Koh Santepheap newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Kampong Chhnang Province – This year, the yield of fish used to make “prahok” is slightly higher than last year, however, the price has doubled from that of last year. Provincial fisheries officials said that this is not because there is a lack of fish, and prahok is not the only commodity that sees a price increase, in fact, all the goods, especially gasoline, saw an increase in price, and when the price of gasoline goes up, everything else goes up also.

A fisheries department official said that the price of this year’s fresh prahok fish which costs 900 riels (~$0.23) per kilo, and this 400 riels (~$0.10) more than last year. Furthermore, a kilo of ready made prahok costs 2,500 riels (~$0.63) per kilo this year in comparison to 1,200 riels (~$0.30) per kilo last year. This year’s fish catch has increased significantly, but the price of prahok fish is much higher than last year because of price inflation.

The current waxing moon period is the last period for catching prahok fish, and it is also the time that the ready-made prahok are being transported to other provinces, such as Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, and Svay Rieng, where large businessmen are stocking them up before transporting them to sell in Thailand. Provincial fisheries department official added that even if the prahok fishes are plentiful, however, there is not much large fish yet, and their price can fetch up to 12,000 riels (~$3.00) per kilo for those fishes that weight between 300 to 500 grams each. For fishes weighing more than one kilo each, they can fetch up 17,000 riels (~$4.25) per kilo.

The price of “riel” or “linh” (small) fishes is about 2,000 riels (~$0.50) per kilo, but larger “krum” fishes fetch 15,000 riels (~$3.75) per kilo. The “kess” and “klainghay” fish species used for smoking cost about 17,000 riels (~$4.25) per kilo, but once they are smoked, the larger fishes fetch 80,000 riels (~$20.00) per kilo, and the smaller smoked fish fetch 65,000 riels (~$16.25) per kilo. The “slat” and “kray” fishes which are frozen and transported to sale inVietnam cost between 5 to 6,000 riels (~$1.25 to $1.50) per kilo. The “chek” fishes which are frozen and transported to sale in Thailand cost about 7,000 riels (~$1.75) per kilo.