Established in early 2002, STREAM Vietnam has so far attained a number of good experiences and lessons in using participatory approaches for its work. The Country Office has been able to link to a wide range of stakeholders, and is working hard to build close relationships amongst them, so that institutional entities can better support

the livelihoods of poor aquatic resources users, and support disadvantaged groups of people to improve their living standards by themselves. 

Reservoir fisheries and co-management are at early stage in Vietnam, but in certain places and industries co-management has brought about successful results by involving proactive participation of communities. Situated on the same continent and having many similarities, the interaction in agriculture and fisheries sector between Vietnam and Sri Lanka has brought the two countries closer. Being members of the STREAM family, there are great opportunities for exchange of experiences and lessons towards sustainable management of reservoir resources.  (PDF has 11 pages.

Nguyen, S.H.

English

Aquatic Commons

Symposium on Participatory Approaches to Reservoir Fisheries Management: 
Issues, Challenges and Policies 
 
October 4th to 6th 2004 
 
Culture Club Resort, Dambulla, Sri Lanka 
 
Session I: Community-based fisheries management; experience in other 
countries 
 
 
Presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s Experience 
 
 
Nguyen Song Ha 
 
STREAM Vietnam Communications Hub Manager 
 
C/o Ministry of Fisheries 
 
Hanoi 
 
VIETNAM  
 
 
E-mail:  nguyensongha-stream@mofi.gov.vn 
 
http://www.streaminitiative.org 
 
 
Presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s Experience 
 ii
Abstract 
 
Established in early 2002, STREAM Vietnam has so far attained a number of good 
experiences and lessons in using participatory approaches for its work. The Country 
Office has been able to link to a wide range of stakeholders, and is working hard to 
build close relationships amongst them, so that institutional entities can better support 
the livelihoods of poor aquatic resources users, and support disadvantaged groups of 
people to improve their living standards by themselves. 
 
Reservoir fisheries and co-management are at early stage in Vietnam, but in certain 
places and industries co-management has brought about successful results by 
involving proactive participation of communities. Situated on the same continent and 
having many similarities, the interaction in agriculture and fisheries sector between 
Vietnam and Sri Lanka has brought the two countries closer. Being members of the 
STREAM family, there are great opportunities for exchange of experiences and 
lessons towards sustainable management of reservoir resources. 
 
 
Key words: Participation, PRA, strategic planning, communication, institutions, M and E. 
Participatory Approaches to Reservoir Fisheries Management 
 
 1
1. Introduction of STREAM Vietnam 
 
STREAM Vietnam was established in early 2002. Besides the four themes of livelihoods, 
institutions, policy and communications, it has strong emphasis on supporting the Sustainable 
aquaculture for Poverty Alleviation (SAPA) strategy of the Ministry of Fisheries. 
 
STREAM Vietnam’s organizational structure is a collective one: 
 
o The STREAM National Coordinator is member of SAPA Steering Committee. 
o The STREAM Assistant National Coordinator is Vice Director of the National 
Aquaculture and Fisheries Extension Centre (NAFEC). 
o The STREAM Communications Hub is a part of the Ministry of Fisheries. 
 
2. Participation in strategic planning 
 
STREAM Vietnam has highlighted the made concerted efforts towards better support for 
poor aquatic resource users. In the meantime, grassroots participation is emphasized as a core 
approach. 
 
A Participatory Approach has been applied in the following ways: 
 
o Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques are used whilst conducting baseline 
surveys for communities and also to feed into the preparation of a National Poverty 
and Aquatic Resource Review (PARR), which help to clarify where people who are 
poor depend on aquatic resources management forms an important part of the Country 
Strategy Paper (CSP). (The PARR and CSP are prepared every three to four years by 
each STREAM Country Partner). The STREAM Initiative runs workshops to provide 
local officials with PRA techniques and tools (in Vietnam these were conducted in 
Quang Tri and Thai Nguyen Provinces), then shares experiences with other provinces, 
projects and NGOs (in Vietnam this was conducted in Long An Province). 
 
o A participatory approach to strategic planning was use in the conduct of a National 
Stakeholder Workshop. Stakeholders were invited to discuss their work and asked to 
give their ideas on: Who STREAM should work with, the existence of similar 
interventions, any overlaps and difficulties; and link and solutions. 
 
o After the CSP draft was finished, PRA was again harnessed for second round of 
consultation involving internal and external consultations on the draft strategy. In 
April 2004, the final version of CSP was published; this now guides STREAM 
Vietnam in its work in the three – four years before next revision. 
 
o PRA is used for getting to understand communities through touch-base visits and 
associated with specific elements of STREAM work in Vietnam, such as developing 
strategies for APEC economies to combat destructive fishing practices, or assessing 
the role of people who are poor, in the production and trade in seafood products with 
Europe. 
Presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s Experience 
 2
The "CSP Process” is a three-phase process of 12 steps. The phases are: 
• Initial Engagement  
• Consultation and Review  
• Drafting and Revision  
 The steps are: 
Initial Engagement  
1. 
2.   
3a. 
3b. 
4a. 
4b.  
Raise Awareness about the STREAM Initiative  
Prepare a National-level Partnership Agreement  
Conduct a National Poverty and Aquatic Resources Review 
Establish a STREAM Country Office and National 
Communications Hub 
Preliminary Networking and Feedback 
CSP Orientation 
Consultation and Review  
5. 
6.   
7a. 
7b. 
Brainstorm Priority Areas and Approaches 
Consult National Stakeholders 
Review Stakeholder Feedback 
Review Country Office Capabilities and Needs 
Drafting and Revision 
8. 
9.   
10. 
11. 
Draft the CSP 
Feedback on the Draft CSP 
Review Stakeholder Feedback 
Prepare the Final CSP  
  
 
12.  Review, Reflect 
and 
       Revise the Process
   
 
A diagram describing the process is reproduced in Figure 1. 
Participatory Approaches to Reservoir Fisheries Management 
 
 3
o  
Figure 1: The STREAM Country Strategy Paper Planning Process 
Presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s Experience 
 4
3. Participatory approaches in an institutional context 
 
The STREAM Initiative is not a donor entity though it builds links with donors, including 
uniting different countries in common approaches for which donor support can be sought. For 
example, Vietnam links with the Philippines and Indonesia in work which supports fishers 
around coral reef environments, which are common to all three countries. Similarly, through 
the STREAM Initiative, Vietnam links with institutional stakeholders in ten other countries, 
to participate in discussion and joint working, sharing approaches and jointly developing new 
ones. Not as a separate project but as a communication hub located right in the heart of the 
most relevant institution in each countries. STREAM links to as many stakeholders as 
possible (see figure 2). 
 
 
 
 
Figure 2: The STREAM Initiative stakeholder diagram 
 
 
 
Participatory Approaches to Reservoir Fisheries Management 
 
 5
In Vietnam, STREAM: 
 
o Links with NGOs’ and their vast experience in rural development – a vision 
sometimes neglected by government institutions in Vietnam. 
o Aims to build solidarity among government agencies, private sector organizations, 
NGOs and the international community 
o Builds different working groups involving the most competent and suitable 
stakeholders for specific programs/projects. (E.g. A four country policy planning 
project commissioned by Asia pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), a 
European Union funded project, headed by  Stirling University, Scotland called 
PAPUSSA. A project implemented by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management 
Ltd (UK), the Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and the 
STREAM Initiative in partnership with stakeholders in the seafood and marine 
ornamental fish trade in Asia and Europe supported by the European Community's 
Poverty Reduction Effectiveness Program (EC-PREP)).  
 
As one of the first Countries Partners of the regional STREAM Initiative, STREAM Vietnam 
has been mentoring Communications Hub Managers in Nepal, Indonesia, India and the 
Philippines in strategic planning at dawn of STREAM presence in those countries. 
 
4. Participatory approach in communication 
The Government of Vietnam has recently placed particular emphasis on the importance of 
effective aquatic resources management for poverty alleviation. A great number of national 
and international activities, projects and organizations currently operate within the aquatic 
resources management sector in Vietnam. In a country with limited resources, the importance 
of efficient and effective information exchange among stakeholders within the sector, and 
between sectors and with aquatic resources users, is increasingly being recognized. 
In support of information exchange, in November 2003, an Information Access Survey was 
conducted to provide a basis for STREAM Vietnam’s communications strategy. This is part 
of a series of surveys supporting national and regional communications, which will 
eventually cover all eleven STREAM Partner Countries. The survey results look at how 
remote communities receive information, and how they wish to receive information, as well 
as assessing communications mechanisms which are currently in place. The results have been 
published widely shared.  
 
STREAM publications are translated at the Communication Hubs by trained Hub Managers, 
with the requisite skills and background in communications, aquatic resource management, 
and development contexts to make them useful and understandable to as many stakeholders 
as possible. 
 
As well as publishing its own STREAM Journal in English and local languages (ISSN 1685-
4012) the initiative works hand in hand with publishers and mass-media agencies, in Vietnam 
this includes: the Fisheries Magazine, FICEN, Fisheries Extension Bulletin, NAFEC and the 
Agriculture Extension Bulletin, of the Youth Union. 
Presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s Experience 
 6
Based on its findings and recommendations from the IAS survey, STREAM have been 
requested, and strongly supported by IFEP and the DANIDA FSPS Program, to take the lead 
role in setting up a database of stakeholders. The database will be shared nationally, 
regionally and internationally through internet. A web-site is being jointly developed together 
with a discussion forum function to facilitate discussions among stakeholders. 
 
 
5. Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (M and E) system 
 
Following two regional workshops and considerable planning a self-evaluation approach has 
been introduced widely to STREAM stakeholders. STREAM Country Offices and the 
Regional Office evaluate effectiveness and efficiency against an indicator based M and E 
system focusing on process related indicators of outcomes and impacts. This is 
complemented by a system of collection and evaluation of Significant Change Stories from 
all parts of the initiative, which capture expected as well as unanticipated changes along with 
other feedback and responses from stakeholders (by word-of-mouth, telephone, e-mail, letter, 
etc). 
 
Experience sharing is often carried out with Communications Hub Manager of STREAM in 
other countries and twice yearly the system is formally interrogated to inform decisions 
regarding stakeholders and activities.  
 
6. How does our work relate to reservoir management 
 
Freshwater reservoirs cover a large total area of Vietnam, especially in Thac Ba and Hoa 
Binh in the North and Lak in Central Highlands. In Vietnam, reservoir fisheries have not been 
developed until recent years. There is currently limited awareness of reservoir fisheries 
management in Vietnam. However, there are great interest and potential to build people’s 
capacity in aquatic resource management in reservoirs 
 
At the same time, co-management is a new approach, which has been introduced recently and 
successfully applied in shrimp sector.  
 
7. Potential for co-operation between Vietnam and Sri Lanka 
 
The two countries both belong to the developing world community in Asia on almost the 
same latitude, where the incidence of poverty is rather high. They each have rich technical 
and resource potential for fisheries development. There used to be much interaction between 
agriculture and fisheries experts of the two countries: through UNDP VIE/98/009 
Mountainous Aquaculture Project, Mr Amaratine Yakaputiagi – the Sri Lankan AIT fisheries 
expert. 
 
GTZ is working actively in Vietnam, under its Social Forestry Project along Hoa Binh 
reservoir and Vietnam and Sri Lanka have now become country partners within the regional 
initiative of STREAM, which is a good channel for information sharing. For example I am 
already working closely with Atula Senaratine of NAQDA and six other Communications 
Participatory Approaches to Reservoir Fisheries Management 
 
 7
Hub Manager to enhance the development impact of process tools piloted already in Eastern 
India. Through the STREAM Initiative lessons, are already be jointly and regularly 
documented and exchanged. 
 
In Appendix 1 is a selection of recent STREAM Vietnam publications available at 
www.streaminitiative.org . 
Presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s Experience 
 8
Appendix 1: Selected STREAM Vietnam Publications 
 
Country Strategy Paper 
 
  
  
  [205 KB] 
 
Prepared in consultation with a range of national stakeholders, a 
CSP identifies relevant national poverty and aquatic resources 
issues, examines policy and institutional environments, establishes 
key objectives, proposes implementation approaches and 
highlights partnerships with national and regional stakeholders.  
Country Strategy Paper (CSP), STREAM Vietnam, April 2004.
  
 
Information Access Survey 
  
  
  [787 KB] 
 
Felsing M and Nguyen S H (2003) Information Access Survey: 
Vietnam.  
The Government of Vietnam has recently placed particular 
emphasis on the importance of effective aquatic resources 
management for poverty alleviation. A great number of national 
and international activities, projects and organizations currently 
operate within the aquatic resources management sector in 
Vietnam. In a country with limited resources, the importance of 
efficient and effective information exchange among stakeholders 
within the sector, and between the sector and aquatic resources 
users, is increasingly being recognized. 
 
   
  
Participatory Approaches to Reservoir Fisheries Management 
 
 9
  
  
The STREAM Initiative. Support to Regional Aquatic Resources 
Management. Learning Workshop on Livelihoods Analysis 
Report. Long An, Vietnam, 19-20 November 2002.  
 English   [455 KB]  
 Vietnamese   [1.42 MB] 
 
 
Aquatic Resources Management Program (2000) Poverty and 
Aquatic Resources in Vietnam: An Assessment of the Role and 
Potential of Aquatic Resource Management in Poor People's 
Livelihoods. DFID-SEA ARMP: Bangkok.  
 English   [207 KB]  
 Vietnamese   [950 KB]  
 
 
  [2.94 MB]  * Caution: Large file size * 
 
Ministry of Fisheries (2001) Sustainable Aquaculture for Poverty 
Alleviation (SAPA) Strategy and Implementation. Ministry of 
Fisheries: Hanoi.  
 
  
  [5.35 MB]  * Caution: Large file size * 
 
Ministry of Fisheries (2001) Sustainable Aquaculture for Poverty 
Alleviation (SAPA) Strategy and Implementation. (In 
Vietnamese). Available from the Ministry of Fisheries: Hanoi.  
 
 


Symposium on participatory approaches to reservoir fisheries management: issues, challenges and policies. Dambulla, Sri Lanka, 04-06 Oct. 2004 Session I. Community-based fisheries management; experience in other countries: presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s experience

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Symposium on participatory approaches to reservoir fisheries management: issues, challenges and policies. Dambulla, Sri Lanka, 04-06 Oct. 2004 Session I. Community-based fisheries management; experience in other countries: presentation on STREAM Vietnam’s experience

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