Forests and forestry
Forest protection
White-shouldered ibis nests discovered in Preah Vihear
Six nests of the critically endangered white-shouldered ibis have been found in the northern plains of Preah Vihear province. According to a statement from the Wildlife Conservation Society yesterday, the nests were found in Tmatbouy village in the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary. ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50112246/white-shouldered-ibis-nests-discovered-in-preah-vihear/
Agreement signed to protect Prey Lang forest
The Environment Ministry, partner organisations and a Japanese company expect that implementation of a $1.5 million forest conservation project for three years will help prevent forest crime, biodiversity loss and improve the livelihoods of community members in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50112028/agreement-signed-protect-prey-lang-forest/
Japan to aid Prey Lang forest protection
The Ministry of Environment and Japan will today sign a $600,000 agreement on forest conservation for a period of three years in the Prey Lang forest, which spans four provinces. The project will focus on forest conservation, legal strengthening and community forestry development, according to a ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50111840/japan-aid-prey-lang-forest-protection/
Ministries to form taskforce to protect forests
The Environment Ministry has requested the National Defence Ministry to form a joint working group over the use of land in natural protected areas to cut down on land disputes and instances of illegal logging. Defence Ministry spokesman General Chhum Sucheat said both parties agreed last ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110603/ministries-form-taskforce-protect-forests/
Officials inspect forest that was filled in, sold
On the orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Koh Kong provincial authorities on Friday inspected a section of protected mangrove forest that in December was discovered to have been filled in with sand and illegally sold, with the consent of local authorities, to tycoon Chea ...
Phak Seangly and Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-inspect-forest-was-filled-sold
Heritage park gets boundary posts
Forty concrete posts have been placed at key locations along the boundary of Phnom Tbeng Natural Heritage Park in Preah Vihear province, paving the way for rangers to patrol the park and enforce forestry and wildlife protection laws. The work was conducted by officials from the ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110230/heritage-park-gets-boundary-posts/
PM orders investigation into Koh Kong land grab
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday ordered the Koh Kong provincial governor to clarify reports that state mangrove forests in the province have been grabbed and filled with sand to create land for development. Speaking during the closing ceremony for an annual conference on decentralisation, Mr Hun ...
Ven Rathavong
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50110227/pm-orders-investigation-koh-kong-land-grab/
Officials seek assistance in planning for marine park
Environmental officials confirmed yesterday that they are seeking the assistance of conservation NGO Fauna and Flora International (FFI) in drafting a management plan for the new Koh Rong Marine National Park, and that for now, the previous conservation structure operated by the Fisheries Administration and ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon and Khouth Sophak Chakrya
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/officials-seek-assistance-planning-marine-park
Okhna owns land at site of illegal Koh Kong mangrove filling, contract shows
A section of protected mangrove forest in Koh Kong that in December was discovered to have been filled with sand was illegally sold to tycoon Chea Leanghong in 2017, documents show, with local authorities having signed off on the deal. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/okhna-owns-land-site-illegal-koh-kong-mangrove-filling-contract-shows
Land dispute rep to appear before court
A representative of more than 100 families involved in a land dispute with a rubber company is seeking the help of a local rights group after being ordered to appear before the Oddar Meanchey Provincial Court on Friday. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/land-dispute-rep-appear-court
Authorities to reclaim illegally seized land inside sanctuary
Kampong Speu provincial authorities on Friday said they will reclaim more than 2,000 hectares of land inside the Phnom Oral Wildlife Sanctuary, though six officials interrogated earlier this month for allegedly grabbing the land will only be “educated”. Oral district deputy police chiefs Prak Moul and ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/authorities-reclaim-illegally-seized-land-inside-sanctuary
Killings fail to deter WCS
The Wildlife Conservation Society has said it is committed to continue working with the authorities and other partners to protect Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary after three conservationists, including one WCS staff member were killed last month. Tern Soknai, a forest ranger with the Environment Ministry, Sek ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108637/killings-fail-to-deter-wcs/
Prey Lang ceremony due next month
Nearly 400 members of the Prey Lang Community Network will hold the annual Prey Lang ceremony in late March to commemorate and preserve indigenous identities and promote the forest’s potential. Meanwhile, Prey Lang activists have claimed illegal logging still exists in the area, even though the ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108639/prey-lang-ceremony-due-next-month/
Development plans for Koh Rong and nearby islands unchanged by marine park
Businesses expect the establishment of Cambodia’s first marine national park covering seven coastal islands to boost tourism in the area, while government officials said yesterday it would not affect private development scheduled for the islands. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/development-plans-koh-rong-and-nearby-islands-unchanged-marine-park
First marine national park established in Koh Rong
The government announced last week the establishment of the country’s first marine national park, the Koh Rong National Park, which covers the Koh Rong archipelago off the coast of Sihanoukville. The new national park, set up by a sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, aims ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50108066/first-marine-national-park-established-koh-rong/
Are Disney's Cambodian carbon credits a fantasy?
The killing of three conservationists patrolling Cambodia’s biggest carbon credit project exposes the nearly insurmountable conflicts of interest plaguing schemes in which huge corporations such as Disney and Virgin Atlantic have invested millions of dollars, observers say. Military Police Officer Sek Wathana, Environment Ministry Ranger Teurn ...
David Boyle and Sun Narin
https://www.voanews.com/a/are-disney-cambodian-carbon-credits-a-fantasy/4247348.html
Still no action taken on threatening of forest patroller
Forest patrollers and rights groups are questioning why the Oddar Meanchey Forestry Administration has yet to take action after a soldier transporting illegal timber allegedly beat and threatened to kill a patroller last month. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/still-no-action-taken-threatening-forest-patroller
First marine national park is established for Koh Rong
Cambodia’s first marine national park was established yesterday, seemingly replacing and expanding upon a marine protection area established for the Koh Rong archipelago in 2016. ...
Chhay Channyda
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/first-marine-national-park-established-koh-rong
Timber seized in Kampong Speu province
Kampong Speu provincial anti-economic crime police and Thporng district police yesterday morning seized six tractor loads of timber being smuggled out of the Phnom Oral Sanctuary. Kim Yon, deputy district police chief, said six homemade tractors were caught transporting the wood from the area. ...
Pav Suy
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50107093/timber-seized-kampong-speu-province/
UN help sought in land dispute
Human rights representatives from NGO Adhoc and the United Nations have been asked to intervene in a land dispute between villagers and an army lieutenant they say was granted a land title illegally inside a protected community forest in Oddar Meanchey province. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/un-help-sought-land-dispute
Court charges Vietnamese man for clearing forest land
A 55-year-old Vietnamese man was charged by Kampong Thom Provincial Court yesterday for illegally clearing more than six hectares of land in a protected forest. Provincial military police officer Keo Savoeun identified the suspect as Nguyen Duc Nhan, an excavator driver for a Vietnamese rubber plantation ...
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50106504/court-charges-vietnamese-man-clearing-forest-land/
Five more held for shooting forest patrollers in Mondulkiri
Five more suspects have been arrested and are being interrogated by authorities in relation to the murder of three forest patrollers last Tuesday in Mondulkiri’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, authorities confirmed yesterday. ...
Mech Dara and Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/five-more-held-shooting-forest-patrollers-mondulkiri
One held over forest shooting
Police in Mondulkiri province yesterday arrested a military officer who is a suspect in a shooting that killed three people during an operation to crack down on illegal logging. ...
Khuon Narim
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50106106/one-held-over-forest-shooting/
Military official arrested over shootout which killed three
Police in Mondulkiri province have arrested a military official who is a suspect in a shootout which killed three people during an operation to crack down on illegal logging. ...
Cheang Sokha
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50105822/military-official-arrested-over-shootout-which-killed-three/