PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday he has cancelled the licenses of all 35 fishing lots around Tonle Sap Lake in five provinces, saying that the lots have caused a great destruction to the country's fish resources.
The license revocation was made after the premier's public announcement on July 1 to sack fishery chiefs in five provinces around Tonle Sap Lake in order to make way for an investigation into fishery offences.
The five provinces around the lake are Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom.
"After the investigation, we found that fishing lot operators had used banned fishing nets to catch the fish, they caught even small fish; moreover, they used chemical substance to drive fish away from flooded forest into their lots in order to catch them," he said.
"It's a great destruction to the fish resources," he said. "The suspension of fishing in the Lake will be in effective at least 3 years in order to increase fish population."
The premier added that despite their great destruction to the fish resources, the government has not taken any fishing lot operators or fisheries officials to court for punishment.
Fishing as family condition is still allowed around the lake, he added.
The government has earned the revenues of merely more than 2 million U.S. dollars a year from the fishing lots, he said.
"We do not need it if it costs great destruction to the fish resources."
Tonle Sap Lake, also known as Great Lake, is the largest lake in the Southeast Asian nations. During the monsoon season, the lake swells to cover nearly one-fifth of the country.
The license revocation was made after the premier's public announcement on July 1 to sack fishery chiefs in five provinces around Tonle Sap Lake in order to make way for an investigation into fishery offences.
The five provinces around the lake are Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Siem Reap and Kampong Thom.
"After the investigation, we found that fishing lot operators had used banned fishing nets to catch the fish, they caught even small fish; moreover, they used chemical substance to drive fish away from flooded forest into their lots in order to catch them," he said.
"It's a great destruction to the fish resources," he said. "The suspension of fishing in the Lake will be in effective at least 3 years in order to increase fish population."
The premier added that despite their great destruction to the fish resources, the government has not taken any fishing lot operators or fisheries officials to court for punishment.
Fishing as family condition is still allowed around the lake, he added.
The government has earned the revenues of merely more than 2 million U.S. dollars a year from the fishing lots, he said.
"We do not need it if it costs great destruction to the fish resources."
Tonle Sap Lake, also known as Great Lake, is the largest lake in the Southeast Asian nations. During the monsoon season, the lake swells to cover nearly one-fifth of the country.
2 comments:
The holders of those licenses of all 35 fishing lots around Tonle Sap Lake are actually youns! In collusion with corrupt officials at higher places in the government they are making the most of money in the industry. It is a known fact that they are often ganging up to terrorize Khmer families who depend on the lake for their survival. It’s about time to get rid of those COLONIZERS, who depleting Khmer resources for so long. It is about time to give back these resources to our Khmer fishers by organizing some kind of cooperatives and help them to reap the benefit from it. Fishing and processing for export could be lucrative for poor Khmers around the lake.
I agree! All fishing Lots in Tonle Sap Lake are illegally Viet-leech living on the Lake...They bribe the crooke official$$$$s inorder to do this kind of work for so long!.......Provincial Govt's official throughout 5 province getting paid big buck$$$$ from Lots owner...
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