People who illegally fish in the waterfowl conservation area of Prek Toal Ramsar site in Battambang province’s Ek Phnom district have been warned of legal consequences if they are caught.
District governor Mil Sopha told The Post that three days ago, authorities cracked down on many illegal fishing cases and destroyed large quantities of fishing equipment hidden in the water of the conservation area.
Fishing in the area not only depletes fish numbers but also affects biodiversity and decreases the number of birds in Southeast Asia’s last large waterfowl conservation area, he said.
“If there are no fish, there are no waterfowl. And if there are no waterfowl, there are no tourists, which mean the locals will lose income. So, we must cooperate to protect and preserve this conservation area by preventing and suppressing all crimes, especially illegal fishing and clearing of flooded forest land,” he said.
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https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/illegal-fishermen-prek-toal-let-go-warning