Sunday, August 22, 2010

Viet fishing boats illegally trespassing into Cambodian seas

22 August 2010
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Komping Puoy
Click here to read the article in Khmer


Fishermen from Kampot province indicated that there are illegal Viet fishing boats that sneaked in to catch fishes inside Cambodian waters in Kampot province during night time.

Kampot fishermen indicated on 21 August that, hundreds of fishermen families living in 4 communes in Kampot district are facing hardship in their fishing because the amount of fish catch is very slim because Viet fishing boats came to catch them using electric shock and illegal large fish catching equipments at night time.

The Cambodian fishermen live in 4 communes in Kampot province: Koh Toch, Sre Koh, Keb and Trapaing L’pov communes. The Viet fishing boats usually enter Cambodian waters from night time until daybreak to catch fishes, crabs and shrimps by using fine fishnets and electric shock devices etc… Each night, about 10 of these Viet fishing boats are coming in.

Cambodian fishermen are blaming the Cambodian provincial fisheries officials of not paying attention to this problem even after the villagers have complained in the past.

Sma Lim, a 40-year-old fisherman from Sre village, Sre Koh commune, Kampot district and province, told RFA over the phone that: “When they (Viet fishing boats) did not come in yet, we were able to catch 4-10 kg of shrimps and such! Now, each night we couldn’t even catch 1 kg! We don’t want anything, just that these Viet fishing boats do not trespass like this! Otherwise, the small [Cambodian] fishermen will have nothing left!”

The fishermen sent a petition that bears the thumbprints of 300 to 400 families to report to the Kampot authority last week, however, there is not reply yet so far.

Keo El, a 46-year-old fisherman from Sre Koh commune, said: “Fishing nowadays is affected because of these Viet fishing boats trespassing into Cambodian territories. They use modern fishing equipments, electric shocking devices, and they dragged with their nets all night long, they take everything.”

RFA could not reach the director of the Kampot province fisheries department to obtain his reaction over the claims made by the fishermen above.

Nao Thuork, the chairman of the department of fisheries for Cambodia, explained that the claims made by these fishermen are not all true (sic!).

Nao Thuork confirmed: “I did receive [the petition], but it is not that much either! We sent our people to look also, but the waters are neighboring each other. But, they [Cambodian fishermen] kept on saying that the Viet boats trespassed and such! We do not allow them, if there were any trespasses, the number is very small! (sic!)”

Cambodia is currently after illegal fishing during the prohibited fishing season which lasts between June and October. During this season, large scale fishing is prohibited, as well as fishing through fine nets, electric shocking devices or grenades, in order to increase the fish population in 2010.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Youn did not recently trespassing into our sea for fishing. Just look at Tonle Sap. They already trespassing for 30 years already. Nobody gives a damp. Thank you for Dek Korl (Nail) Hun Sen for allowing this to happen. Hun Sen is not working for Khmer, but for Youn.

Sihanouk and Hun Sen are Youn.

Anonymous said...

help yourself Youn CCP afraid of you....we need you at Phnom Penh also. Need assistant call Hun Sen. His daughter is availabe if needed.

Anonymous said...

Cambodian authority could not do a thing to the Viet fishing boats that are in our water, but if it is triversa (opposite situation) the Viet will beat and jail our people to death.

This is how the Viets are being so nice to our Khmer people!

All are Ah Chhke Hun Sen's fault.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen doesn't care about this. Hun Sen doesn't care that illegal Viets are fishing in Cambodian territory. Hun Sen doesn't care that Viets are planting crops inside Cambodian land and calling their own. Hun Sen doesn't care that Viet soldiers at the Cambodian-Viet borders can freely walk back and forth between each country with their guns to buy cigarettes. If you dare file a complaint about all of this to Hun Sen, he will most likely arrest your ass and tell you to shut up, if not harrassed by both Viet and Cambodian police. This is how ah sapung hun xen operates.

Anonymous said...

My suggestion to all of the mother fuckers CPP they're the fucking CHICKENS and the mother fuckers COWARDS. They only strong to our own people only. But when they faces with the mortal ENEMIES like SIEM and YOUN they're fucking scares to deads. IF your so chickens why don't you just give up and let some one that can protected from the mortal enemies that try to invade our country.

Anonymous said...

Ah Chke Hun Sen government can only jail their own people,but not dare to jail or arrest Vietcong. They let Vietcong do any thing freely throught out the Cambodian territory, on land or water.

This is how Ah Chke Hun Sen serves his own people.

Anonymous said...

catch them and jail them all! what a creep they are, violating khmer seas territories, etc!