To assess the available fishery resources and its diversities in the Tam Giang-Cau Hai Lagoon and to provide appropriate means to identify fish species by resource users and managers, the IMOLA has undertaken a survey on fish species available in the lagoon.

The survey was conducted in the raining season starting from October 2006 to January 2007 with the assistance of local fisherfolk. The harvested fishes from their fishing gears were categorized and recorded by fishery experts, assigning to each specimen its scientific name, size, and weight. The classification of collected fishes was done based on the FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes, "The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific" as a reference material.

As a result, 41 fish species under 35 genera (27 families) were recorded. For more detail, please refer to the report Fish of Tam Giang-Cau Hai Lagoon I: Taxonomic Atlas - Rainy Season (pdf).

As this study was conducted only in a single rainy season between 2006-2007, the project is planning to undertake further surveys on the topic in different seasons to make this taxonomic guide most complete and exhaustive.