Vietnam’s fish industry dominates in Cambodia

At Chraing Chamreh wholesale fish market in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district, men frantically scoop dark, snake-like Trey Phtok fish out of a huge steel tank and into a wicker basket. The flickering pile of tails and gaping mouths is placed on a scale and weighs in at 90 kg, which distributer Phy Veasna says should fetch about $187. … According to inland fishery statistics, he estimated that about 500,000 tons of fish are naturally produced per year. However, much of the wild fish caught here is smuggled out of the country, meaning the robust trade in freshwater fish is not reflected in official government trade figures, said Youk Senglong, program manager at the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT). In the first quarter of this year, the value of fishery exports increased 26 percent from $203,309 in 2013 to $256,173 this year. The total value of fishery exports last year was $934,824—a fraction of the almost $7 billion in exported goods. Most of Cambodia’s fish stocks are being caught in Cambodian waters and transported to markets in Vietnam, said Mr. Senglong. …

 George Styllis and Kang Sothear
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/vietnams-fish-industry-dominates-in-cambodia-60676/