Resource information
Fishing and foraging for aquatic animals are often an integral part of rural food strategies and are as much about the management of water and aquatic environments as they are about the management of land. This publication is the result of a participatory assessment conducted in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR to determine the role of aquatic resources in the nutritional status of people engaged in rural livelihoods. The results of these activities illustrate that a broad diversity of aquatic plants and animals are frequently accessed and used by villagers, and that fish and other aquatic animals make up the main animal protein sources in peoples’ diets. These findings indicate that strategies for rural development, food security and poverty alleviation in these areas need to pay special attention to aquatic resources management to ensure the health and well-being of rural people.