Snakes seized in Pursat, owner fined

Khmer Times Military police, forestry administration officers and Wildlife Alliance officials on Wednesday raided a house in Pursat province used to facilitate the illegal wildlife trade, seizing nearly 80 kilos of snakes. A Wildlife Alliance official, who asked not to be named because he was not allowed to speak the media, said the owner was fined and the wildlife was seized to be released Read More…

New Mekong guidelines lacking, government official says

Phnom Penh Post A Cambodian representative to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said yesterday that new guidelines for hydropower development agreed to late last month don’t fully address threats to the health of the imperiled waterway. Chheang Hong, a representative of the Cambodian government to the MRC, said in an email that while the guidelines are a step towards cooperation between Read More…

Sediment loss in Mekong River killing southern delta

VietNamNet Bridge The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta is home to nearly 18 million Vietnamese people, and is the most important rice field and fishing region of the country. Vietnam cannot afford to lose it as an agricultural powerhouse, but may be unable to stop just that happening. A recent study conducted by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (French Development Agency – AFD) and the Read More…

Mekong River Commission to revise dam guidelines

Phnom Penh Post Hydropower developers and representatives of the Mekong River Commission member countries met last week for the last time before finalising guidelines to mitigate the negative impacts of dam construction on the Mekong River, though conservationists expressed doubts about whether such guidelines would make a difference. In a statement, the MRC said the guidelines – which Read More…

Thailand and Cambodia sign MOU to protect border biodiversity

Pattaya Mail Bangkok – Thailand and Cambodia have signed on to cooperate on the protection of biodiversity along their shared border, emphasizing joint work at every step. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Gen. Surasak Kanchanarat, representing Thailand, joined his Cambodian counterpart Say Samal in Chiang Mai on Jan. 31 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the Read More…

Fish catches to decline in second fishing season

Khmer Times As Cambodia enters its second fishing season, fish catches are widely expected to decline due to adverse weather conditions. The second phase of the fishing season started on January 21 and will end on the 26, according to the Fisheries Administration, who issued a public statement last month urging producers of Prahok to buy their fish at the end of this month in fishing areas Read More…

Cambodia’s fisheries at risk due to hydropower development on…

The Phnom Penh Post Hydropower development will likely deal a serious economic blow to Cambodia, with dire outlooks for its fisheries and rice outputs predicted even under best-case scenarios, according to key findings from the Mekong River Commission (MRC). Researchers and policymakers representing the MRC’s member states convened in Vientiane, Laos, late last week to discuss findings Read More…

Fermented fish lovers rejoice

Khmer Times The Fisheries Administration has announced the time is almost here for those wanting to make prahok and pha-ak – both fermented fish products – with the first phase of a good fishing season beginning Friday and lasting until December 27. The second phase will be from January 21 to 26 if the sky is clear and there is no unseasonal rain. The director of the Fisheries Read More…

Crocodile lizard and snail-eating turtle among 115 new species…

The Independent A brightly coloured crocodile lizard, a thriving mole population and a mountain-dwelling bat are among an astonishing 115 new species of flora and fauna discovered in Asia in 2016. A report by wildlife charity WWF has revealed three previously unknown mammals, 11 amphibians, two fish, 11 reptiles and 88 new plants were found by researchers and scientists in the Read More…

Government, experts differ on fisheries outlook

Phnom Penh Post Government officials presented a rosier outlook for the Kingdom’s imperiled freshwater fisheries than that espoused by scientists and conservationists at a global workshop on fisheries, food security and nutrition that wrapped up in Siem Reap on Friday. In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly claimed the government has strengthened enforcement of the Read More…