With 18.6% of the population below the poverty line and 84% living in the countryside, Cambodia is a
poor rural country. It also features large freshwater fisheries (400,000 tonnes/year) and very high fish
consumption (63 kg/person/year). Thus, fish plays an exceptionally important role in Cambodia’s food
security.
In a context of recognized contribution of fish to protein intake, we focus in this study on the benefits
of non-protein nutrients from fish. For this study, 176 documents were reviewed, and the following
questions are addressed:
• What, in the Cambodian diet, is beneficial and found only in fish?
• What is found in fish and not widely available in other food sources?
• What is responsible for malnutrition in Cambodia despite the high consumption of fish?