In an effort to protect and conserve the environment of the Tonle Sap Lake, the relevant ministries and entities in charge of the six provinces around the lake have planted 100,000 saplings, according to a report from the Fisheries Administration.
The move came after the authorities reclaimed more than 87,000ha of public flooded forest land in Zone 3 around the Lake in the six provinces of Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Pursat, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom and Siem Reap.
According to the report, planting operations have been rolled out gradually. Among them, Siem Reap authorities planted 200 bamboo trees, 35 palm trees, 73,676 palm seedlings and 5,300 flooded forest tree seedlings on more than 3,300ha of reclaimed land.
During a field visit last weekend, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon inspected the flooded forest nursery at the Fisheries Administration-supported community in Sososdom commune of Siem Reap province’s Puok district.
Ping Chhong, director of the community, told Sakhon that the community has planted a total of 50,000 trees. He said the community has planted 70ha of flooded forest saplings since 2020.
Chhong also shared some of the community’s difficulties with the minister, saying: “Despite the success of the planting operation, the community has some challenges, such as the lack of transportation – both on land and water – for the patrols that search for offenders, and a shortage of fuel and the budget we need to expand our seedling production.”
Sakhon then instructed authorities to focus their attention on planting operations on the recovered land.
“The administration must strive to find additional partners to support the development of fishing communities – including patrols, nurseries, crime prevention and aquaculture,” he said.
In Pursat, the provincial administration on April 1 established a sub-committee and working group to prevent fisheries offences in flooded forests and the Tonle Sap.
Provincial governor Cheav Tay said the sub-committee will lead the inspections that will prevent fishing crimes – especially those that use illegal fishing gear.
“In addition to researching statistics on fishing offences and inspecting equipment – including the homes of each fisherman – this sub-committee also has the role of disseminating the law on the sale of illegal fishing devices.
“It will also observe the local trade of fisheries produce and investigate any suspected offenders. If necessary, we will build legal cases and send perpetrators to court,” he said.
He added that provincial administration also set up three working groups to investigate and suppress fisheries offences in the flooded forest areas of the lake in Krakor, Kandieng and Bakan districts. The sub-committee had established offices in the three districts so the working groups could respond to offences quickly and efficiently.
