PHNOM PENH, July 1 — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Wednesday ordered local authorities to clamp down on illegal fishing in key fish spawning areas.
Speaking at the National Fish Day celebration in Svay Rieng Province, he said the move was vital to safeguard fish stocks and the long-term sustainability of the country’s aquatic ecosystems.
Marine resources need to be protected as they support the livelihoods of thousands of local fishermen across the Kingdom.
“I instructed the army units stationed around Tonle Sap (lake) to mobilise. For the last two years, the military has been fighting natural resource crimes both on land and at sea.
“In addition, they are now obligated to conduct border patrols to safeguard our land. We aim to stop depending on the military and avoid sending more troops,” said Hun Manet, as reported by the online portal Fresh News.
The government had to rely on the army in the past because there was a shortage of specialised law enforcement officers to crack down on crimes related to natural resources, he said.
He cited how large-scale clam dredging is harming the livelihoods of local fishing communities and ordered such activities to cease immediately.
Hun Manet highlighted that the agriculture and fisheries sectors remain pillars of national food security, describing agriculture as “the nation’s stomach” and fisheries as its “source of protein”, reported state media Agence Kampuchea Presse.
He added that Cambodia’s marine and freshwater resources need to be protected against illegal fishing during breeding seasons.
In conjunction with the event, 1.5 million fish and other aquatic species were released into the Vai Ko River in Svay Rieng.
