Cambodia's fisheries sector, a source of income and employment for approximately 33,000 individuals – predominantly women – faces substantial challenges in exporting its products to the EU. 

Despite the sector's potential for economic growth, the industry is hindered by inefficient production practices, lack of coordination and inadequate resources, preventing it from meeting the stringent EU standards required for export.

The CAPFISH-Capture: Post-harvest Fisheries Development project, funded by the EU and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), aims to address these issues. 

With a budget of €16 million ($17.43 million) from the EU and €900,000 ($9.8 million) from UNIDO, the project, running from September 2019 to June 2024 – with plans for extension –seeks to develop the country’s post-harvest fisheries by upgrading regulatory systems and promoting sustainable industry practices.

Bryan Fornari, head of cooperation at the EU Delegation to Cambodia, explained the current limitations. 

"There are some that can be exported, but when we're talking about aquaculture and post-harvest fisheries, at the moment it's not possible to export them as long as there is not sufficient compliance with EU standards," he said. 

Fornari emphasised the importance of establishing monitoring systems and ensuring product residues meet health requirements, highlighting that reaching compliance by 2025 would be a significant initial step towards exporting Cambodian fishery products to the EU.

“[We] have seen examples of companies that do indeed start investing [in other regional countries] where they see the potential for export to the European market. So, this is something that could be replicated in Cambodia,” he said. 

Im Rachna, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, reported an increase in the country’s fishery exports in 2023, with fresh fish products reaching 3,424 tonnes, up 522 tonnes from 2022. 

"Separately, for processed fishery products in 2023, we achieved 186 tonnes, an increase of 145 tonnes compared to 2022," said Rachna. 

Thorng Ra, a national food safety expert, outlined the progress made from 2019 to 2025 towards attaining global and EU equivalence. 

The journey included the establishment of a national action plan, development of standard operating procedures (SOPs), enhancement of the National Residue Monitoring Programme (NRMP) and implementation of Certified Quality Systems (CQS). 

These efforts, culminating in both mock and comprehensive audits, aim to secure the country’s status for exporting goods recognised by the EU.

Ra said the roadmap towards EU equivalence offers numerous advantages for Cambodia. First, harmonisation with Codex and international standards ensures the country's food control system is robust and reliable. 

This not only improves national food safety but also opens access to huge and premium markets, becoming a significant source of income. 

“Achieving EU standards enhances the country's reputation and attracts more investment, ultimately protecting public health and boosting Cambodia's international image," said Ra. 

He added that the Fisheries Competent Authority (FCA) is actively negotiating with Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and Australia to establish memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for mutual recognition and trade facilitation. 

According to Ra, these MoUs aim to streamline trade and open new markets for Cambodian fish and fishery products through the acknowledgment of fish health, quality and safety assurance systems, exchange of information, capacity building in inspection and certification processes and development of testing laboratories.