No fishing during fish spawning
Authorities confiscating fishing nets in Kampong Cham province in Kang Meas district along the Mekong river. Nokor Wat News
The Kampong Cham province fishery community director Eng Nam has called on the fishing community not to fish during the spawning season which started last month until October.
“It is closed fishing season. Fishing is not authorised and action will be taken against anyone fishing illegally,” he told Khmer Times yesterday.
He said the closed fishing season is to allow fish spawning and the move is to stimulate reproductive output and yield.
Nam expressed concern that if people catch fish during the spawning season, there will be fewer fish to catch in the future.
“In spite of issuing the directive, there are still some people catching fish illegally,” he said.
A fisherman in the Khchaw fishery community, Eng Vin said that he had seen many illegally fishing on the Mekong River when they are supposed to not do so.
Phnom Penh’s Fishery Administration director Hong Ly said they have been working very hard to stop all illegal fishing at the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers during this closed fishing season.
“If we don`t take action against the people involved in illegal fishing, then we will have less fish after the season is over,” he added.
Horm Sovon, a 49-year-old fisher who only catches fish three months a year said that there was now fewer fish to catch every day.
“I have a stable income now, and I am happy that other villagers both upstream and downstream are also able to catch fish when the fishing season starts,” said Sovon.
Kang Meas district governor Phok Savuth said that they have started to crack down on all those catching fish illegally with the help of the police.
On Monday, he said, they started their operations in Peam Chi Kong commune in the province and managed to confiscate among others fishing equipment, 200 metre long illegal bamboo barriers, and 100 poles of fishing net.
Coordinator for the Fisheries Action Coalition Team Minh Bunly said that there is a need for an effective law enforcement action to arrest all those involved in illegal fishing activities. Khmer Times
