Fishing industry in Laos

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Laos, a land‑locked country, relies heavily on fishing for food and people’s livelihoods, especially near rivers, reservoirs and ponds. Fishing includes wild capture and growing aquaculture.

Fishing has a long history, and freshwater fish are the main source of protein for many Lao people. Although some people fish regularly, most are part‑time, and about 75% of the population depends on water resources. The average fish consumption is about 24.5 kg per person each year.

The country’s water resources cover about 1.2 million hectares and produce around 168,000 tonnes of fish each year. The Mekong River, its tributaries, large reservoirs, ponds, lakes and wetlands are key fishing areas. In the rainy season, floods create important fishing opportunities in the Mekong plains and paddy lands.

Nam Ngum reservoir is one of Laos’s largest and has year‑round commercial fishing, with Vientiane as a nearby market. Khong Island’s waters are also popular for fishing. A total of 481 fish species have been reported, including 22 exotic (introduced) species.

Main species in capture fishing include black sharkminnow, common carp, Jullien’s golden carp, shark catfish, mud carp and various catfish. Exotic species include common carp, goldfish, silver carp, grass carp, bighead carp, Nile tilapia, rohu, mrigal, catla and African catfish.

There are four types of aquaculture in Laos:
- cage culture (steel, bamboo or wood cages),
- rice‑fish culture in irrigated areas,
- pond culture in small rural ponds, and
- rain‑fed culture in irrigated paddy fields.

Cage culture often includes tilapia (often sex‑reversed), snakehead, silver carp and pangasius. Rice‑fish culture uses carp and Oreochromis species. In 2007, aquaculture produced about 54,750 tonnes from more than 42,000 hectares.

Legislation: Laos does not have a single inland fisheries law. Instead, fishing is covered by several laws, including the Agricultural Law (1998), Penal Law (1990), Forestry Law (1996), Environment Protection Law (1999), Water Resources Law (1996) and the Aquatic and Wild Animals Law (2007). The Fisheries Section of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry administers inland fisheries, and a unified Aquatic Animals and Wildlife Bill is being drafted to support local management. The Forestry Department has proposed a list of protected and managed species. Fishing with explosives is banned.