Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 14, July 14 - 27, 2006
Following a report from fisheries experts that there has been an increase in Cambodia's fish catch endangering some fish species, Prime Minister Hun Sen has appealed to local authorities and fishermen not to fish illegally during the off season, when fishing is banned.
"Do not commit fishing crimes that destroy the fish breeding; this will cause the decline of fishing resources," Hun Sen said in a speech on July 1 while attending a ceremony to release 500,000 fish fingerlings in Sihanoukville.
The fishing season is suspended between June 1 and September 30 for the areas north of Chatomuk, and between July 1 and October 31 south of Chatomuk, according to Yin Dara, Fisheries Program Officer of Oxfam GB.
Hun Sen said the government is fighting against unregulated fishing and forestry crimes around the Tonle Sap in order to maintain fishery resources.
Nao Thuok, director of the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Forestry and Fisheries, said on July 6 that the department has taken measures to fight unregulated fishing during the off season.
"Small-scale illegal fishing still occurs, but it will not threaten fish resources," Thuok said.
He said the Fisheries Department has contributed at least 2,000 liters of fuel for patrol boats in each provincial fishery around the Tonle Sap.
Thuok said fisheries experts monitoring the migration of newborn fish expressed concern that young fish were not able to migrate because of unusual water level patterns.
But Dara told the Post that illegal fishing, specifically of the vulnerable young fish, still occurs during the prohibited times and will lead to a decline in the overall fisheries yield in the future.
Dara said ten fisheries were monitored by a network of environmental NGOs that have received funding from Oxfam GB since 2001 to promote sustainable fishing resources.
He said the NGOs each receive an average of $20,000 a year, and those have worked with 78 of the 448 fishing communities across the country.
"We want to encourage cooperation between the fishing communities and the local authorities to fight illegal fishing within their fishing areas," Dara said.
He said the entrepreneurs who bought the fish catch to sell in the market were a problem, because they supplied illegal equipment to facilitate a large catch.
"They buy cheap electrocution equipment and give it to the fishermen," Dara said.
Em Channarith, acting director of the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), said it was too early to give an account of illegal fishing during the banned timeframe, but that illegal activities designed to catch baby fish continue.
"We haven't received any reports from the local fishing communities yet," said Channarith. "We have set up fisheries network and kept monitoring on the issues."
"Do not commit fishing crimes that destroy the fish breeding; this will cause the decline of fishing resources," Hun Sen said in a speech on July 1 while attending a ceremony to release 500,000 fish fingerlings in Sihanoukville.
The fishing season is suspended between June 1 and September 30 for the areas north of Chatomuk, and between July 1 and October 31 south of Chatomuk, according to Yin Dara, Fisheries Program Officer of Oxfam GB.
Hun Sen said the government is fighting against unregulated fishing and forestry crimes around the Tonle Sap in order to maintain fishery resources.
Nao Thuok, director of the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Forestry and Fisheries, said on July 6 that the department has taken measures to fight unregulated fishing during the off season.
"Small-scale illegal fishing still occurs, but it will not threaten fish resources," Thuok said.
He said the Fisheries Department has contributed at least 2,000 liters of fuel for patrol boats in each provincial fishery around the Tonle Sap.
Thuok said fisheries experts monitoring the migration of newborn fish expressed concern that young fish were not able to migrate because of unusual water level patterns.
But Dara told the Post that illegal fishing, specifically of the vulnerable young fish, still occurs during the prohibited times and will lead to a decline in the overall fisheries yield in the future.
Dara said ten fisheries were monitored by a network of environmental NGOs that have received funding from Oxfam GB since 2001 to promote sustainable fishing resources.
He said the NGOs each receive an average of $20,000 a year, and those have worked with 78 of the 448 fishing communities across the country.
"We want to encourage cooperation between the fishing communities and the local authorities to fight illegal fishing within their fishing areas," Dara said.
He said the entrepreneurs who bought the fish catch to sell in the market were a problem, because they supplied illegal equipment to facilitate a large catch.
"They buy cheap electrocution equipment and give it to the fishermen," Dara said.
Em Channarith, acting director of the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), said it was too early to give an account of illegal fishing during the banned timeframe, but that illegal activities designed to catch baby fish continue.
"We haven't received any reports from the local fishing communities yet," said Channarith. "We have set up fisheries network and kept monitoring on the issues."
No comments:
Post a Comment