Cambodia has about 50,000 hectares of mangroves

Protecting mangrove will be a main agenda of the World Wetlands Day to be held on Feb. 2, 2021, according to a press release from the Fauna&Flora International (FFI)-Cambodia programme and other partners.

Cambodia has about 50,000 hectares of mangrove in four coastal provinces: Kampot, Kèp, Preah Sihanouk, and Koh Kong.

Mangrove plants are halophytes. They have the ability to survive in seawater by filtering out 90 percent of the salt. Its aerial roots broaden the base of the tree to stabilise itself in soft and loose soil. It also plays an important role in providing oxygen for respiration.

Like desert plants, its stores fresh water in thick and succulent leaves, which are covered in waxy coating to minimise evaporation.

The other reasons to preserve the mangrove is it can protect coats from strong waves, prevents coastal erosion, filtrates water, stores carbon, which helps mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and marine species, and so on. Heng Panha – AKP

source:https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50808689/c ... mangroves/

Let's hope the World Wetlands Day on Feb 2.,2021 can help to protect the Mangroves in Cambodia

LOL, I totally agree, Emm.

Gentle reminder - your mate "criminal Alex G, and the people he left behind to face the consequences" did more than anyone else ever has in protecting Cambodia's mangroves by stopping the sand mining catastrophe.

Flocking heroes they are. That was a miracle NObody thought possible.
Not expecting an apology or any self-reflection from you - i'm guess that is not your thing.
'just setting the record straight.

Respite for Kampot fishing communities ? This sounds really hopeful for the local people.
RIP Senator.
Senator’s Death Clouds Future of $1.5B Kampot Beach Development
3 min read

Morm Moniroth and Horn Thovan
| Wed May 12, 2021 6:24 pm

A Kampot province port and seaside sand-filling project has gone quiet after the senator leading the project died amid disputes with two marine fishing communities, though the late politician’s assistant says the development has not been abandoned.

Ouk Sovannarith, president of the Prek Tnoat fishing community in Kampot’s Toek Chhou district, said it would be a lucky break for fishers who rely on Kampot’s seaside if the Ching Kor port and special economic zone project was truly on the rocks. He said the project appeared inactive since the death of Ching Kor’s chairwoman Keo Maly in October.

More than 1,000 families in Sovannarith’s community and the Trapaing Ropov fishing community depend on some 2,400 hectares of sea for fishing and making a livelihood, but they were threatened by the sand-filling done by the company, he said.

“[Citizens] borrowed money from others and paid installments through a bank, like borrowing money to build a house,” Sovannarith said, adding that if the development is stopped “they can earn money to pay off the bank, can earn money for their children to go to school, can support the family. I think there is no problem if there is no development in that area.”

Sim Sophea, the late politician’s assistant, said the special economic zone, resort and port project developed by Ching Kor was not abandoned even if it appeared inactive since the death of the former ruling party senator.

The company is currently conducting an environmental impact assessment, he said.

Sophea added that any disputes with fishing communities who share the sea would be handled by someone at a higher level than him.

“It seems that there is no dissatisfaction from the people,” he said.

According to the company’s investment report, Ching Kor was granted the right to fill 640 hectares of Kampot province by the Commerce Ministry, Council of Ministers and Council for the Development of Cambodia in 2019. Last September, the company also requested permission from the Land Ministry to fill sand into an additional 1,000 hectares off the coast of Kampot province.

Before her death, Maly told VOD in October 2019 that the area would be called the “Kampot Tourism Ocean” project, and include a special economic zone, port, resort and condominiums. She said at the time that the company would invest $1.5 billion over 50 years.

When asked about the project, Prek Tnoat commune chief Kong Bunrea said developments inevitably have consequences, so the solution is to look at the real needs of the people, without elaborating.
https://vodenglish.news/senators-death- ... velopment/

UPDATE
Kampot Beach Plan to Go Ahead "in the near future", says Governor
Follow up to: post439489.html#p439489

Kampot Governor Inspects New Beach Location
Appeared 1 minute ago
On Saturday, October 22, 2022
By deth leng

On October 21, Kampot Provincial Governor Mao Thunin led professional officers, forces and relevant authorities to inspect the location of the beach project situated at the mouth of river Prek Thmey, planned to be built in the near future, which is located in Chum Kreal commune, Teuk Chhou district, Kampot province. The idea being to attract more tourists to visit the province.
The provincial administration and the new beach project of Kampot province provide many important benefits, such as providing income for our province and providing income to the people in the province, as well as accommodation in the tourism services.

Mr. Mao Thunin, Governor of Kampot Province, said that there is a plan to connect the project to widen the road along the canal and the beach with a width of 60 meters to the beach area.

At the same time, the provincial administration has also prepared a land area of ​​about 5 hectares next to the sea to be used as an amusement park along the canal.

Kampot Fishermen Struggle to Survive Amid Declining Fish Stocks
By: Meas Molika on October 24, 2022
~ 2 min read
Fishermen in Kampot province are struggling amid declining fish stock, which they say is the result of illegal fishing, shrinking fishing grounds and pumping dirt into waters
KAMPOT PROVINCE - Illegal fishing and other factors are impacting the livelihoods of Kampot fishermen, who claim fish stocks are declining.

They also urged authorities to clamp down on fishing offenses and requested more participation from locals to improve the fishing situation.

Ruon Nos, 60, has been a fisherman at Trapeang Sangke community for almost his entire life, from 1979 until today. He wakes up in the morning and spends his days from 8am to 6pm fishing.

About five years ago, he was able to catch between 80 and 100 kilograms of fish a day. Now, he nets from 4 to 10 kilograms. The income he earns from fishing today is about 10 times less compared to many years ago.

“Whenever the [fish] price is down, I can earn 120,000 riel [$30]. If the price [of fish] goes up, sometimes I can earn 150,000 riel [$37.50],” Nos told Kiripost.

He added, “The price of fish does not decrease, but what matters now is fish output falls.​ I can’t find enough fish.”

The 60-year-old fisherman believes factors causing the fish decline in the area that he lives in include pouring land into sea, shrinkage of fishing grounds and illegal fishing.

“Post​s [conservation boundaries] are now at fishing grounds where fish used to be found. I cannot find any places to do fishing anymore​ and Kilo No.12 [village] has poured soil into the water area,” he said.
https://kiripost.com/stories/kampot-fis ... ish-stocks