FISHERS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES START TO THINK ABOUT PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

In order to lessen impacts from environmental degradation – worsened by climate change – fishery people and local authorities in Kampong Phluk, Siem Reap Province have realized the importance of taking care of their surrounding natural resources and ecosystems.

 It has also become common practice to conduct reflection sessions on the advantages of having rich and fully functioning ecosystems. Most notably, this could be seen during the community organized Environment Day when people living in the area engaged in replanting the flooded forest.Before, fishers in Kampong Phluk had little understanding of environmental issues and the advantages a healthy environment has when taking the effects of climate change into the calculation. Earlier it was common practice to cut and burn flooded and normal forest, for agriculture and, the use of illegal fishing gear resulting in low levels of fish stock. Low capacity and lack of relevant knowledge resulted in local authorities not intervening on illegal activities.