Over fishing [by illegal Viet fishermen]: Fears over island fish stocks

Thursday, 28 July 2011
Sen David
The Phnom Penh Post

Over fishing

VILLAGERS on Koh Kyong island in Preah Sihanouk province are preparing a complaint over more than 300 allegedly unlicensed fishermen who they say are illegally operating in local waters.

Loung Bunny, chief of the Association for Natural Protection in Ochroy commune, said yesterday that fishermen from Vietnam’s Phú Quoc island and provinces around Cambodia were threatening local livelihoods. “Vietnamese fishermen use their modern, mechanised boats to fish [without permission] in this commune” he said. “We are collecting thumbprints for the villagers to file a complaint to the local authorities and the Fisheries Administration in early August.” Fisherwoman from Koh Kyong island, 47-year-old Eang Hern, said yesterday her daily earnings had dropped from 50,000 riels (US$12) three months ago to 20,000 riels due to overfishing.

But Duong Sam Ath, chief of the provincial Fisheries Administration , yesterday denied any unlicensed Vietnamese fishermen were operating in the area.

Even the pro-CPP media can no longer hide the trespassing of Viet fishing boats into Cambodian waters with the blessing of corrupt officials

Viet fishing boats continue to violate Cambodian waters

04 May 2009
Kampuchea Thmei
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

Cambodian fishermen indicated that Viet fishing boats continue to unruly violate Cambodian waters, and they have no fear of Cambodian authorities at all. The location that currently sustains the flow of Viet boat violations is near Koh Po Island, located in Kep province where fishes are abundant.

According to reports provided by Cambodian fishermen, fishes in Cambodian waters have been depleted to the point of extinction because the Viet fishing boats used modern and illegal equipments to catch them when they violate Cambodian waters day and night without any fear of Cambodian authorities.

The same source claimed that the large flow of Viet boats into Cambodian waters stem from the green light by some corrupt Cambodian officials who are operating under the motto: “the small [officials] eat small, the big [officials] eat big.”

The source also indicated that these corrupt officials always welcome Viet boats that come to fish in Cambodian waters, even if these boats used illegal equipments to catch fish, as long as those Viet boats are willing to bribe them. Cambodian fishermen do not have the same means as their Viet counterpart because they do not own any modern or illegal fishing equipment. Therefore, Cambodian fishermen do not earn as much as the Viet fishermen. Furthermore, if Cambodian fishing boats dare use illegal fishing equipment, these corrupt officials would round them up and arrest them like thieves.

Mat Saloss, a Cambodian Muslim fisherman living in Phum Thmei village, Prey Thom commune, Kep city, Kep province, said that he is a fisherman for several years now, but his life has never been as difficult as it is now. He said that in the past, fishes, crabs and shrimps can be found in abundance in the Kep waters. However, all the fish resources have been quickly depleted since the Viet boats arrived and they used electric current to catch the fish or boats dragging nets in tandem pairs. Mat Saloss said that if these Viet boats continue to fish like this, Cambodian fishermen could no longer catch fishes anymore.

Regarding the report above, Kampuchea Thmei tried to call the Koh Po Island authority, but to no avail because nobody picked up the phone there.