Environment and natural resources
Forests and forestry
Cooperation on dolphins urged
The World Wildlife Fund has called for closer cooperation between Cambodia and Laos to protect the Mekong River dolphin, in the wake of the death this week of a female thought to be one of less than 85 left in the river. ...
Charles Parkinson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cooperation-dolphins-urged
Timber by the numbers
Cambodia’s foremost logging baron exported more than 100,000 cubic metres of timber from Sihanoukville Port last year, likely including a species protected by an international treaty to which the Kingdom is a signatory, an analysis by Global Witness of leaked export records suggests. The data, obtained ...
Daniel Pye
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/timber-numbers
Prey Long network ends four-day patrol to monitor logging
A network of about 400 activists completed a five-day patrol of the unprotected 650,000-hectare Prey Long forest in the country’s north Sunday, seizing and burning illegally logged wood and confiscating chainsaws from those they discovered felling trees. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/prey-long-network-ends-four-day-patrol-to-monitor-logging-81439/
Dam critic questioned over illegal logging
The Koh Kong Provincial Court on Friday questioned an Areng Valley villager opposed to a government-backed hydropower dam over allegations of illegal logging but has yet to lay charges. ...
Sek Odom and Mech Dara
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/dam-critic-questioned-over-illegal-logging-81453/
Police release logger who implicated official
Villagers in Mondolkiri province on Tuesday detained and handed over to authorities a Vietnamese man who told police that Sos Malen, a local environmental official, had let him into Cambodia to log illegally. Immigration police let the man go, however, claiming to have insufficient evidence ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/police-release-logger-who-implicated-official-81314/
Mass patrol of Prey Long forest begins
About 400 community activists on Thursday set out on a five-day patrol of Cambodia’s sprawling— and unprotected—Prey Long forest to root out illegal loggers and the illicit clearing of the area’s commercial farms, making for the largest patrol by the Prey Long Community Network in ...
Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/mass-patrol-of-prey-long-forest-begins-81318/
Positive outlook for the giant ibis: conservationists
Experts involved in the protection of Cambodia’s national bird, the giant ibis, have lauded the successes of an ongoing conservation scheme, and offered cause for optimism that the animal can overcome its current status as critically endangered. ...
Charles Parkinson
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/positive-outlook-giant-ibis-conservationists
Firm accused of ‘taking over’ community forest
Villagers in Ratanakkiri province’s O’Yadav district have filed a complaint with rights group Adhoc against a logging company they say has claimed more than 9,000 hectares of community forest as its own and threatened residents against using the land. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/firm-accused-taking-over-community-forest
Six Vietnamese charged over logging; military collusion alleged
The Mondolkiri Provincial Court on Friday charged six Vietnamese nationals with illegally logging in the province’s O’Reang district, where they were caught felling first-grade Sokrom trees after allegedly crossing into Cambodia with the help of a local military officer, officials said Sunday. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/six-vietnamese-charged-over-logging-military-collusion-alleged-80981/
Seven ‘loggers’ released over clearing state land
The Stung Treng Provincial Court on Wednesday released seven men who were arrested for illegally logging in the province’s Sesan district, an official said. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/seven-loggers-released-over-clearing-state-land-80827/
In logging hotbed, 7 arrested for felling trees
Forestry officials and police on Monday arrested seven men for logging illegally in Stung Treng province’s Sesan district, officials said Tuesday. ...
Ben Sokhean
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/in-logging-hotbed-7-arrested-for-felling-trees-80657/
Two busted over illegal reptiles
Twenty-eight hard-shell turtles and eight snakes – weighing more than 50 kilograms – were seized from a minivan in Kampong Thom’s Kampong Svay district on Wednesday. ...
Kim Sarom
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/two-busted-over-illegal-reptiles
P Vihear families call on gov’t to stop logger
After almost five years of alleged illegal logging in Preah Vihear province’s Preah Rokar community forest by a local businessman, more than 100 villagers yesterday petitioned the provincial authorities to shut down his handicrafts company. The villagers say that the woodworking operation, owned by businessman Sar ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/p-vihear-families-call-govt-stop-logger
First gibbon born in Angkor Park
The 21st century welcomed its first baby gibbon at Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park, in a celebrated step towards the conservation of an endangered species. ...
Michelle Tam
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/03/19/Gibbon-Angkor-Park/
Cop chief accused of illegal timber sales
Ethnic Lao and the local authorities in Stung Treng province’s Sesan district have accused the Srekor commune police chief of being a timber “gangster” and selling protected wood to tycoon Kith Meng, who has a stake in the nearby Lower Sesan II hydropower project. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/cop-chief-accused-illegal-timber-sales
Villagers prevent police from taking back seized bulldozers
About 150 ethnic Kuoy in Preah Vihear province on Tuesday prevented police and a court prosecutor from taking back a pair of bulldozers the villagers seized last year from a Chinese-owned plantation they accuse of encroaching on their farms. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/villagers-prevent-police-from-taking-back-seized-bulldozers-79978/
4 dolphins found dead this year, WWF says
As the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin population steadily declines, conservation groups have voiced concern that the critically endangered species may be swimming toward extinction if drastic measures are not soon taken to protect them. The numbers tell a depressing tale: From 2011 to 2014, 23 dolphins were ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/4-dolphins-found-dead-year-wwf-says
Activists decry illegal loggers in Cambodia exporting charcoal to Thailand
Forest and community activists in a northwestern province in Cambodia have expressed concerns about illegal loggers who have started producing charcoal for export to Thailand,destroying protected areas of community forests in the process. ...
Hum Chamroeun
http://bit.ly/1bd7xFH
Rosewood seizures drop in Banteay Meanchey: gov’t
The government says it seized less rosewood from illegal loggers in Banteay Meanchey province in 2014 than the year before thanks to stricter enforcement, following a meeting Wednesday to review its anti-logging activities in the area. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/rosewood-seizures-drop-in-banteay-meanchey-govt-79555/
New WWF chief says Cambodian tigers a priority
The new director-general of the international environmental group WWF, Marco Lambertini, met Tuesday with Environment Minister Say Sam Al to raise concerns over development projects that could have harmful environmental impacts, and one in particular that could derail plans to reintroduce tigers to Cambodia. ...
Simon Henderson
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/new-wwf%E2%80%88chief-says-cambodian-tigers-a-priority-79478/
Villagers implicate officials in logging
Three environment officials in Mondulkiri province are being sued by ethnic minority villagers for allegedly using a permit to build two ranger stations as a pretence to illegally log more than 4,000 cubic metres of luxury wood. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/villagers-implicate-officials-logging
Gov’t seizes hundreds of logs inside Ratanakkiri sanctuary
Environment officials in Ratanakkiri have over the past 10 days confiscated more than 500 pieces of valuable Sokrom wood found stockpiled throughout the province’s Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary by illegal loggers, officials said Sunday. ...
Aun Pheap
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-seizes-hundreds-of-logs-inside-ratanakkiri-sanctuary-79310/
Satellite data suggests forest loss is accelerating
Satellite images suggest tropical forests from the Amazon to the Philippines are disappearing at a far more rapid pace than previously thought, a University of Maryland team of forest researchers say. Tropical Asia showed the second largest increase in deforestation with 0.8 million hectares (about ...
Kyle Plantz
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/02/us-forest-satellites-idUKKBN0LY1M720150302
Areng activist summoned over deforestation complaint
The Koh Koh Provincial Court has summoned an environmental activist living in the Areng Valley for questioning over allegations that he felled trees in a forest in order to build a community center, rights workers said Sunday. ...
Hul Reaksmey
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/areng-activist-summoned-over-deforestation-complaint-78893/