The Don Sahong Hydropower Project in Lao PDR is located at Khone Falls, on the southern (downstream) edge of Siphandone or ‘Four Thousand Islands’, which is a complex series of river channels and wetlands within the Mekong River. Most of the Mekong River basin is considered a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), and Siphandone is particularly rich in fish species with about a quarter of all fish species in the Mekong River basin found in this area. This is an important area for fisheries, which support the livelihoods and nutrition of many local people. Since the conception of the project, DSPC has conducted extensive research and taken measures to mitigate and manage impacts to fisheries around Khone Falls and upstream in the Siphandone area and to maintain the biologically diverse ecosystem.
We are additionally guided by MFCB’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, and we aim to support the goals and targets set out to 2030 and 2050.
To have a net positive impact on biodiversity and maintain, enhance or restore the integrity of the ecosystem
within and around our project area for the benefit of biodiversity and local communities.
The Don Sahong Fisheries Management Plan (DSFMP) is a long-term adaptive management strategy developed in 2015 to ensure the sustainable management of aquatic fauna in the Don Sahong Fisheries Management Area (DSFMA). The plan will be in place until beyond 2030 to minimise the impact to fisheries and enhance the biodiversity within the DSFMA.
The Don Sahong Fisheries Management Committee (DSFMC) was established in 2016 during the construction of Don Sahong Hydropower Project. The Committee oversees the DSFMP and comprises representatives from the Lao PDR government, local villages, fisheries and other relevant sectors and organisations. DSFMC is financially and technically supported by DSPC but operates independently. The activities of DSFMC include but are not limited to:
• Registration of fishers and fishery organisations
• Developing rules and regulations about fish passages
• Education and awareness raising
• Identification, mapping, demarcation of conservation zones, protected areas, spawning grounds and important habitats
• Rehabilitation of important habitats
• Scientific research
• Enforcement.
To complement the DSFMP, in 2013 DSPC established a Fisheries Monitoring Action Plan (FishMAP) which aims to mitigate the impact of blocking Sahong Channel by facilitating the passage of migrating fish. We are committed to improving fish passage across the Khone Falls so that fish are able to move freely upstream and downstream past our operation area, and we have a dedicated team that identifies areas and improves them for fish passage. Works have been undertaken in the areas highlighted below in the map and our team continues to identify new areas for fish passage improvement. Up to 2024 we have improved about 8.7 km of river channels at eight locations.
Our team also conducts regular monitoring of fish passage and the abundance and diversity of fish at Khone Falls through by various methods:
All-year:
• Daily: household fish catch monitoring, fish market monitoring.
• Weekly: Standardised Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) monitoring.
Dry-season:
• Daily: Video monitoring/trapping of fish.
• Weekly: Cast-netting for upstream-migrating fish.
