Illegal fishing destroying Kep’s ocean ecology
A dozen diesel-powered boats crawl across Kep Bay, creating a rumble so low that it shakes the pier. They drag weighted, electrified nets across the inshore shallows, scooping up sea life indiscriminately and destroying vital breeding grounds in the process. And they trawl so close to shore that you can hear their radio exchanges. …
Under Article 49 of the Fisheries Law, trawling inshore areas (those less than 20 meters deep) is forbidden. Under Article 20, using electric fishing gear is strictly prohibited in all areas. Both crimes are punishable by jail time, and authorities found to be complicit or willfully ignorant also face prison terms and fines.
But despite the regulations, fishing boats along Kep’s coastal strip continue to trawl the ocean unobstructed, many with electrified nets. …
Maritime police have consistently denied the presence of foreign vessels in Cambodian waters, even attempting to write off the death of the Cambodian in the clash at sea as an accident. Fishermen, both Cambodian and Vietnamese, have claimed that police are paid off. …
Matt Blomberg and Sek Odom
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/illegal-fishing-destroying-keps-ocean-ecology-98170/
