The Phnom Penh Post —
President of the Royal Academy of Cambodia Sok Touch called on provincial authorities around the Tonle Sap Lake and the Fisheries Administration to strengthen patrols, investigation, prevention and crackdown on people using fish electrocution devices in the Tonle Sap Lake, because this crime costs the government $10,000 in income a night.
The call came on January 28 after he and his team arrived to inspect, investigate and prevent the encroachment on flooded forest land in areas around the Tonle Sap Lake and they found the illegal fishing occurring directly and received reports from local people about the crime of fish electrocution in the Tonle Sap Lake.
“This crime of fish electrocution costs the Royal Government $10,000 in income a night. So, the Fisheries Administration and the governors of each province around the Tonle Sap Lake have to prevent people from doing this,” he said.
In order to sustain the fishery resources in the Tonle Sap Lake for the benefit of the younger generations, Sok Touch was determined that he would see the arrest of those electrocuting fish in the Tonle Sap Lake to bring them to justice.