FishTech: Integrating technical fisheries solutions into river development programs across South East Asia

Project Summary

South East Asia’s highly productive and diverse inland fisheries are currently under threat from rampant irrigation and hydropower development. Fish passage (FP) technologies have been increasingly applied to conserve and/or restore fish passage where irrigation and hydropower infrastructure impedes migratory pathways. The current project builds upon a program of work that progressed from a proof of concept (FIS-2006-183) into a more comprehensive research and implementation phase (FIS-2009-041 and FIS-2014-041), which has shown that fish passes can ameliorate the effects of river development and additionally have lasting social and economic benefits. Specifically, it seeks to facilitate greater adoption of FP technologies in Asian countries (the Mekong subregion and Indonesia, in particular) by improving capacity and governance structures; and upscaling and scaling out fish passage implementation efforts.

Project Details

Project Period
2022-2025

Project Funding
$4,545,454 (DFAT)

Project Location
South East Asia

Objectives

  • To understand the motivations of development banks, investors and irrigation agencies for choosing whether or not to include fish passage technology within development projects.
  • To define institutional capacity needs to enable design and implementation of future fish passage programs and facilitate uplift in fish pass capability.
  • To fill critical knowledge gaps needed to demonstrate proof of concept to development bank agencies.
  • To identify policy needs of the partner countries and development banks.
  • To secure an enabling environment for the integration of fish passage technologies into irrigation investments, through: (i) evidence-based research; (ii) dissemination of research results through awareness raising and demonstration; and (iii) mainstream the experience into (a) standards and specifications; (b) government policy and strategy; and (c) academic and training institutions.
  • To better integrate Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) considerations into all aspects of project design and implementation.

Team Members

Project Partners

  • CSU
  • DFAT