Villagers along Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake Livelihood Threatened
Villagers on Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, who depend on fishing for subsistence, say their livelihoods are threatened by illegal commercial fishing, which continues after a government ban. And they say authorities in charge of enforcing the ban are being bribed to look the other way… This commune, made up of five floating villages, is home to more than 2,000 families — most of whom depend on fishing for their daily lives. Commune chief Bun Peng admits that bribery is a problem. He says there is no legal framework to enforce the ban on fishing — but then said he would “eradicate” the practice by the end of the year, without elaborating. “Institutions or officials are still involved [in taking bribery] in my commune, but from now on till the end of 2012, I will absolutely eradicate them,” he stated. Meanwhile, local officials from the Ministry of Agriculture’s fisheries administration deny such corruption takes place…
