An area of approximately 40 km² adjacent to the Tonle Sap River, in Kampong Tralach, 50 km north of
Phnom Penh, was studied for one year, from September 1999 to September 2000, to determine the
productivity of fish habitats during one flood cycle. The study used an integrated approach. This
comprised: 1) registration of catches by a lot owner and a leaser, who both fish in two canals that link
a lake and a marshy area, as well as areas used for dry rice, within the study area to the Tonle Sap
river; 2) a self-monitoring survey by about 100 fishers of their daily catches over a 1-year period; 3) a
random sample household survey of approximately 500 households within the study area; and 4)
analysis of the extent of flooding in different types of habitats using a combination of radar satellite
imagery and GIS-based land use classification. Fish yields of 243–532 kg/ha/year were found. These
figures are compared with other estimates of floodplain productivity and highlight the need for detailed
studies that include adequate quantification of small-scale fishing effort before realistic estimates can
be made