US to Help Tackle Illegal Fishing

Khmer Times
Tin Sokhavuth

US Ambassador to Cambodia William Heidt meets with Veng Sakhon, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to talk about measures to tackle illegal fishing in the Kingdom. Supplied

US Ambassador to Cambodia William Heidt said the US wanted to sign an agreement with Cambodia to better manage state-owned ports in the Kingdom to tackle issues related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

He said this during a meeting with Veng Sakhon, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, at the ministry on Tuesday.

According to a ministry official who asked not to be named, Mr. Heidt will also sign another agreement with the Royal University of Agriculture on September 22 to create four provincial agriculture centers.

Each center will be equipped with an experimental agricultural field to test and disseminate advanced agricultural technology to farmers.

Mr. Sakhon said that with US government assistance on illegal fishing, Cambodians would be able to preserve marine resources. He also asked the US to help his ministry by providing adequate technology to help manage and control the agricultural market in the country.

Paul Ferber, founder and director of Marine Conservation Cambodia, told Khmer Times yesterday that marine resources in the country were in decline due to frequent and intense fishing.

“In this situation, fishers use illegal and destructive fishing methods such as electrical shocking tools that could destroy the whole marine ecosystem. These methods also result in the capture of unwanted and premature fish,” he said.

However, he added that in Cambodia, the lack of law enforcement allowed fishing vessels to operate unlawfully. “They also may ignore catch quotas, enter forbidden areas and target undersized or rare species.”

Mr. Ferber said the presence of Thai and Vietnamese fishing boats in Cambodian waters also led to the depletion of marine resources, although Cambodian law prevents foreign violations as stated in article 38 of the Law on Fisheries.

He added that the improvement of law enforcement and the distribution of information to boat owners concerning the law were the best ways to solve IUU fishing issues.

“Importantly, vessel registration is also a key step to achieve sustainable fisheries,” he added.

Khmer Times could not reach the Agriculture Ministry spokesman for comment.

According to the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), IUU fishing is a worldwide problem threatening to destroy ecosystems and sustainable fisheries.

IUU fishing very often violates the law on management and measuring of quotas or catching limits established under international agreements.

“IUU fishing most often violates conservation and management measures, such as quotas or bycatch limits, established under international agreements.

By adversely impacting fisheries, marine ecosystems, food security and coastal communities around the world, IUU fishing undermines domestic and international conservation and management efforts,” stated NOAA’s website.