Cambodia Dismantles Nearly 5,000 Meters of Illegal Fishing Gear

In Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia, under the command of Major General Som Sun, Deputy Permanent Chairman of the Provincial Committee for the Prevention, Deterrence, and Suppression of Natural Resource Crimes, a joint operation by the military and fisheries officials was conducted on September 24, 2026, to immediately crack down on illegal fishing gear. The operation took place in the Ya Vin Reservoir area within the Samphouth Village, Stoung District. The operation was led by Lieutenant Colonels Luoy Sophath and Hem Thon, military officers from the Kampong Thom Provincial Military Operations Area, 4th Military Region. As a result of this operation, the joint forces dismantled and destroyed illegal fishing gear on site, including 55 fish nets (2,200 meters long), 55 sets of fishing traps, 110 fish traps (tube-shaped), 4 fishing nets (800 meters long) made of fine mesh, 4 sets of fishing traps, 8 tube-shaped traps, 1,500 wooden stakes, and released 90 kilograms of various mixed fish fry back into the natural lake. Major General Som Sun appealed to local authorities and residents in all areas to participate in preventing, deterring, and suppressing illegal fishing, especially during the fishing ban period. He also urged all fishermen not to use illegal fishing gear that leads to the depletion of national fishery resources. Furthermore, he ordered the intervention forces and forces stationed at the district command to continue their operations to crack down on illegal fishing in Stoung and Kampong Svay districts relentlessly, for the sake of the nation and future generations. On the same day, with the permission of Mr. Chin Sithath, Director of the Kampong Thom Provincial Department of Fisheries, Mr. Yeng Yan, Director of the Stueng Sen River Fisheries Administration Office, and Mr. Sieng Hokk Hun, Commander of the Stueng Sen City Military Operations Area, led forces to continue inspecting and cracking down on illegal fishing activities at Boeung Ampel and Prek Domrey Lot, located in the Srey Sorsor Village, Stueng Sen City. As a result, the working group dismantled and destroyed illegal fishing gear on site, including a total of 1,800 meters of fish nets, 25 sets of traps, 25 fish traps (tube-shaped), and 1,900 stakes. Approximately 90 kilograms of mixed fish fry were also released back into the natural lake to contribute to the conservation and protection of fishery resources. By: Sum Vanna © All rights reserved by Agence Kampuchea Presse 2018