Forests and forestry

Banteay Srei district governor Khim Finan has issued fines of 12 million riel ($3,000) to 10 villages and a formal warning to a village chief for illegal logging in Skun village, Tbeng commune, Banteay Srei district, Siem Reap province. ...

The Environment Ministry held a tree-planting drive in Kampong Thom province to mark Valentine’s Day by encouraging youths to love and protect natural resources. A religious ceremony was held to mark five huge trees and protect them from being cut down. Attendees were also told ...

The Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary chief in Mondulkiri province has been accused of allowing illegal timber factories to operate in the protected zone. Activist Kroeung Tola on Tuesday said in a Facebook post that Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary chief Pen Pheaktra was permitting illegal timber factories to ...

The Koh Kong provincial administration has warned that it will take legal action against anyone who attempts to grab land in an area that used to belong to the Botum Sakor National Park. The 9,306ha located in Kiri Sakor and Botum Sakor districts has been ...

Park rangers in Mondulkiri province’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary yesterday rescued a wild elephant cow which had been stuck for hours after falling into a mud pit. ...

Mondulkiri provincial court on Saturday charged and jailed seven people for felling reforested trees in a protected area in Koh Nhek district’s Rayar commune, officials said. Keo Sopheak, director of Mondulkiri provincial environment department, said yesterday park rangers arrested nine suspects on Thursday at Rayar ...

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon on Wednesday stressed the importance of forest resources and the need to protect them to boost the economy and livelihoods of forest communities while maintaining a sustainable environment. At the Forestry Administration’s annual review meeting, attended by ...

Members of the indigenous Bunong tribe and civil society organisations on Wednesday filed a complaint against local authorities in Mondulkiri for illegally clearing 300ha of protected forest. The cleared land is located in O’Raing district’s Pou Les village. ...

The Ministry of Environment on Tuesday slammed a report by a local organisation which claimed the Prey Lang forest has lost 40,000ha in the last 18 years. Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra called the report by the Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN) “politically motivated” ...

The Sorng Rukhavorn Forest Community in Oddar Meanchey province has issued a call for all to take part in the protection and conservation of forests and wild animals. At the 19th anniversary of establishing the central headquarters for the Sorng Rukhavorn Forest Community on Sunday, ...

The National Committee for the Prevention and Crackdown on Natural Resource Crimes said forestry crimes have largely decreased, with 59 suspects arrested and sent to court throughout last year. The committee also confiscated 9,215 cubic metres of mixed timbers and 491 items used to commit ...

Government officials and civil society organisations in Ratanakkiri province report a significant decrease in the number of forest crimes, noting that perpetrators are no longer using large vehicles to transport the timber. Ratanakkiri provincial Department of Agriculture director Soy Sona said that, on the surface, ...

Mondulkiri Provincial Court on Tuesday charged a man who allegedly set traps resulting in the deaths of several species of wild animals in Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary. Deputy prosecutor Mam Vanda yesterday identified the accused as Hok Vann, 19, from Koh Nhek district’s Nang Khy lik ...

The Battambang provincial Department of Environment is continuing to search for the owners of nine illegal charcoal kilns that were destroyed by forest rangers on Monday at the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary. Department director Kort Boran said on Tuesday that seven rangers at the wildlife ...

The Siem Reap provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it will offer a 10 million riel ($2,500) reward to those who provide information regarding the suspects responsible for setting ablaze more than 20ha of kranhuong timber forest land in Banteay Srei district. Department ...

A prominent local businessman was ordered on Monday to cease construction work for a road in a mangrove forest in Kampot province after authorities learned it was being carried out in a protected area. Kampot provincial governor Cheav Tay instructed Oknha Kuy Leang Ky this ...

Two men, including a village chief, were arrested on Friday for allegedly grabbing and clearing 10ha of forest land in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district. Krasaing Pnov village chief Penh Sarorn, 49, and Vong Phalla, 50, were arrested on the orders of Pursat provincial governor ...

Stung Treng provincial police on Sunday sent one of seven men detained over the transportation of illegal timber to court. Provincial police chief Mao Dara said the Vietnamese man was sent to the provincial court after being accused of transporting nearly 200 pieces of beng timber ...

Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court on Saturday charged four men and three women over an attempt to grab land in Ream National Park which resulted in officers being injured during a clash.​ Court spokesman Lim Bun Heng said the seven people were clearing state forest land in ...

Cambodia and Vietnam have signed a 2020 cooperation plan to continue efforts to stop cross-border crimes and increase security cooperation. Minister of Interior Sar Kheng signed the agreement with Vietnamese Minister of Public Security To Lam during a visit to Vietnam over the weekend. ...

Think Biotech (Cambodia)Co Ltd plans to plant more than 30 million trees on about 30,000ha by the end of 2023 after being granted the right to do so by the government to meet the rising demand for timber in the Kingdom. ...

Despite a stop order issued to a prominent businessman, the mangrove forests, a vital source of the province Kampot eco system is again under threat as land fill has started again. The mangrove forests and swamps are located near the Prek Tnong fishing community in ...

With incidents of costly human-caused forest fires continuing to occur every year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has issued an instruction outlining that those responsible for such blazes face three to 10 years in prison. Signed by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries ...

Preah Sihanouk provincial officials yesterday clashed with a group of villagers armed with sticks and machetes as the officials were trying to dismantle illegally built homes in the Ream National Park. According to a provincial police report, the clash took place inside the protected area ...