Marine Conservation CambodiaWe just want to show off a little, when we began there was no fish left around our island, extreme overfishing and destructive fishing had left the area void of fish, if we saw 2 damsels on a dive it was a major event, now after 2 years of hard work and vigilance, we are seeing amazing results.
Below is a video taken under our pier, showing what can be done with very little money but tons and tons of passion and a little bit of love.
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Great News, These are now the Second and Third Illegal Electric Trawling Crews to be arrested and sent to court, with Electric Trawling being a class one offence, this carries a mandatory jail term.
These arrests and subsequent jail time sends a clear message that IUU electric trawling is no longer tolerated in the waters off Kep!!!
After we reported the entry into Cambodia of a set of Large IUU Vessels (Pair Trawlers), Kampot fisheries leapt into action and managed to locate, tackle and apprehend the destructive illegal vessels, but with limited boats and staff they needed assistance.
Kampot fisheries called directly to our team and requested for us to assist them, We left everything we were doing and went straight out to support the Fisheries Patrol Team. Our job was to help with the recovery of the net, and tow the larger vessel back to port as it had entangled its propeller in its own net whilst trying to escape.
We have just seen a total collapse of the close inshore areas (200m-300m from the shoreline) in Kep Province, An Algae bloom created a green tide killing all the marine life within its reaches and turning the whole of Kep’s mainland coastline into a foul smelling mess of green death for a period of around 3 days.
So we would like to put it out there for Local and National Authorities our honest opinion based on good scientific evidence, and utilising previous studies and accepted theories of why this happens and why this happened now here in Kep, considering natural climate related factors such as temperature are not abnormal for this time of year.
The Species of Zoo Plankton involved is Noctiluca_scintillans and a good source of information on other Algae blooms can be found here harmful algae blooms. With the number of harmful algal blooms around the world increasing in frequency and size over the last 40 years, especially in regions with large increases in coastal populations and over fishing, we feel that the human factors/stressors should be carefully studied and addressed.
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Over the past three years we have research Kep’s reefs and Seagrass beds, and as recorded in our reports we have seen serious declines in health of almost all of Kep’s marine habitats due to numerous human factors. Our most recent Zoning report covers many aspects related to this and can be found here 31-stage-1-draft-zoning-plan-for-kep.
So here is a summery of those human factors/causes, impacts and stressors that we strongly believe have led to this current event and need to be addressed urgently.
This natural blooming event happens more than once per year in Kep and usually has no negative effects, it is actually a good natural food source and natural part of the food chain that is usually beneficial to the Eco system, but as the Eco system here is close to collapse due to overfishing, excessive illegal bottom trawling and electrified fishing gear this one had a very negative impact and turned into the classic green sludge bloom that is a danger to both people and marine life.
The balance this time was disturbed by many factors that I shall list below.
1. lack of predators juvenile fish and other marine life which usually consume these blooms which have happened. A very good article on trophic cascading and the link between over fishing, destructive fishing and Algae Blooms can be found here Trophic Cascading and Algae Blooms and you can also read this scientific study on overfishing and its link to Algae Blooms here Over Fishing Linked To Algae Blooms.
2. Excessive nutrients in the water due to large amounts of decomposing Seagrass caused by illegal trawling in the Seagrass areas.
Seagrass Helps to retain sediments and nutrients from terrestrial areas thereby improving water quality. Seagrass habitats are critical marine ecosystems which should be protected from sedimentation, They absorb nutrients which can cause eutrophication and toxic algal blooms.
Decaying seagrass fuels increasing algal blooms. This can cause a complete regime shift from seagrass to algal dominance. Accumulating evidence also suggests that overfishing of top predators (large predatory fish) could indirectly increase algal growth by reducing grazing control performed by mesograzers, such as crustaceans and gastropods, through a trophic cascade.
3. Bottom trawling – dragging nets across the sea floor to scoop up fish – stirs up the sediment lying on the seabed, displaces or harms some marine species, causes pollutants to mix into plankton and move into the food chain and creates harmful algae blooms or oxygen-deficient dead zones. References here Trawling is Destroying Our Oceans
4. When alive this plankton creates a normal amount of ammonia whilst feeding on phytoplankton, as this natural and non harmful bloom reached Kep it encountered many trawling boats running electric currents through the water column, this electricity killed it in large numbers, resulting in the pasty green sludge washing up in turn the mass deaths caused a spike in ammonia resulting in the marine life deaths
5. Water temperature, but this is a normal occurrence that within a healthy ecosystem would not result in the current situation.
We believe the largest contributing factor is excessive nutrient from decomposing Seagrass of which there has been days recently when it’s a meter deep washing up on surrounding beaches, and the large number of electric trawlers working in the areas between the islands and the mainland.
This should have been an event for tourists and locals a like to enjoy the phosphorescence and for the marine life to have a healthy feast.
We have seen today that the issue of trawling has not been taken into account in this situation, the issue of not trawling should not just be related to the issue of seafood safety it is related to the excessive nutrients released by decomposing Seagrass that the trawlers rip up day and night. These nutrients feed the bloom creating together with the temperature the idea conditions for the recent algae bloom. Also the disturbance of sediment into the water Column exacerbates the situation. The Electrified Nets used by some of these trawling boats also kills huge swathes of Zoo Plankton along with every thing else in their path, this can not continue as this is one of the main factors in the recent collapse.
So with the still large amounts of plankton in the water it is essential that trawling is banned and that ban enforced else this recent event will become a common occurrence!!!!!!!!!
Follow this link to see our Article on Our Campaign to stop Bottom Trawling in Kep that clearly shows the Cambodian laws that these illegal trawlers are breaking, these laws were put in place to protect the ocean and lesson the likely hood and effects of events like the one we have just witnessed in Kep, if these laws are not implemented and enforced these events will become more frequent and will directly impact both Kep’s fisheries resources and Kep’s tourism.
If you love Kep and you love the ocean we must work together to help stop this, Kep’s fisheries and provincial government have the will to stop them but lack the resources needed to stop these illegal trawlers that flaunt the law, ignore government orders and disrespect the authorities. Provincial government and we together as the people that are affected must come together to support the provincial government and do what ever we can to put a stop to these destroyers of the ocean. Again read through to get a full
Understanding of the current situation regarding these IUU trawlers and their affect to the ecosystems in Kep.
Illegal:
Illegal fishing refers to activities that are in violation of regional, state, national or international laws/obligations. This includes foreign or national vessels operating without permission in waters under the jurisdiction of a State, or against the relevant measures adopted by a RFMO. Illegal fishing in Cambodia has two sources; foreign and domestic. Both sources mainly occur in the form of destructive fishing techniques (e.g. pair trawling and electric trawling). Foreign vessels fishing without authority from their own flag State are also considered to be acting illegally. Domestic vessels which utilise mesh sizes below the minimum legal limit, banned fishing gear, or that lack registration or a license required to fish, are acting unlawfully. Furthermore, despite its alarming frequency, trawling in waters shallower than 20 metres is a criminal act.
Unreported:
Unreported fishing refers to those which have not been reported, or have been misreported, to the relevant national authority, in contravention of national laws and regulations. Additionally, it refers to the lack of reporting, or the misreporting, of fishing activities to the relevant RFMO, in contravention of the reporting procedures of that organization. Unreported fishing in Cambodia mainly refers to Thai and Vietnamese vessels that fish in Cambodian waters, as well as the lack of reporting of IUU fishing to the relevant authorities. Furthermore, the purposeful negligence of catch quotas and the misreporting of catch quantity/species is classed as unreported fishing.
Unregulated:
Unregulated fishing activities include those conducted in areas or targeting marine stocks where no relevant conservation and management measures are in place. Fishing activities that are carried out in a manner inconsistent with State responsibilities for the conservation and management of marine resources under international law, are also considered unregulated. Finally, vessels performing fishing activities within the domain of an RFMO without displaying nationality, or flying the flag of a State not party to the RFMO, are considered to be carrying out unregulated activities. Some examples of unregulated fishing in Cambodia include the large proportion of Cambodian boats without license or registration, open access fisheries and foreign vessels freely fishing in Cambodian waters with no impact assessment.
Other forms of IUU fishing activities include (Funge-Smith; SEAFDEC Secretariat 2016):
– Catching of prohibited or protected species.
– Fishing with a fake license, registration or vessel numbers.
– Registered boats that do not follow the relevant vessel specifications detailed in registration.
– Vessels carrying more than one flag, fishing in waters outside the permitted or designated fishing areas.
– Landing of fish in unauthorized ports or across borders.
– Transfer of catch at sea.
Clearly, IUU fishing can arise in an enormous variety of forms, whether through unlawful method, catch, documentation, vessel specifications etc. Numerous factors that catalyse the development of IUU fishing will be discussed, for instance overcapacity, low relative risk of punishment and open-access fisheries.
Factors leading to IUU fishing:
Overcapacity of fishing vessels is a major driver of IUU fishing in Cambodia (Funge-Smith). Marine resources are in decline and struggling to replenish due to frequent and intense fishing pressure. In this situation, fishers may be induced to utilise illegal and destructive fishing methods out of desperation for sparse marine resources. These methods are indiscriminate and frequently result in the capture of non-target species, which are composed mostly of prematurely caught juveniles (Ahmed & Chanthana 2015). For example, socio-demographic surveys conducted by MCC during August 2015 at Prek Tanean revealed that trawler by-catch can be higher than 80%, and also consists of habitat such as seagrass and coral. Catching low quantities of commercial species perpetuates overfishing, creating drastic declines in marine populations. Following this, illegal and destructive techniques may be used in an effort to capture scarce commercial species. Finally, this reduces population numbers further and destroys habitats, once again increasing the level of fishing intensity and fulfilling a perpetual cycle of ecosystem destruction. Furthermore, this cycle has been swiftly intensified by the rapid development of fishing technologies (Siriraksophon 2016).
Exacerbating the issues of overharvesting is the relatively low risk of punishment faced for fishers acting unlawfully. Where the chance of income outweighs the chance of punishment, IUU fishing techniques are much more likely to be utilized (Funge-Smith). In Cambodia, the lack of catch monitoring and enforcement of fisheries laws leads to a very low likelihood of punishment in any form. Fishing vessels operating unlawfully reduce costs in terms of licensing, registration and vessel specifications (SEAFDEC 2016a). They also may ignore catch quotas, enter closed fishing areas, and target undersized or rare species, increasing potential income. As an example of this, Thai and Vietnamese vessels frequently enter Cambodian waters for fishing, contributing to the overcapacity issues (Bangkok Post 2009; Styllis & Sothear 2014). According to Article 38 (see ‘Article 38’ pp. 43) of the ‘Law on Fisheries’ (FiA 2007), foreign vessels fishing in Cambodia must be under agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries after gaining approval from the Royal Government of Cambodia. Cleary this law is poorly imposed on foreign vessels, however its enforcement would undermine IUU fishing in the Kep Archipelago. Overall, domestic and foreign fishers face minimum incentive to fish lawfully, thus they may be driven to adopt IUU fishing techniques.
The presence of open-access fisheries (OAFs) in Cambodia greatly hinders efforts to combat IUU and overfishing. Owing to the lack of regulation in OAFs, fishing intensity is typically higher than the socially optimal level, economic profits from fishing are dissipated, and marine stocks are degraded or even driven to extinction (Fuller et al. 2013). Clearly, OAFs are not sustainable or cost-effective. The proposed MFMA seeks to establish regulated zones, which will overcome the issues faced and consequences caused by OAFs. Together with improved fisheries law enforcement, vessel registration and formation of monitoring system, the impacts OAFs have caused environmentally, socially and economically, will be rectified by this MFMA.
Vessel registration and Monitoring Control & Surveillance (MCS):
As it stands currently, Cambodia faces numerous issues with boat licensing and registration. Relatively few vessels apply for a fishing license, the enforcement of licenses is inadequate and additionally, fishers generally do not have any rationale for acquiring a fishing license (SEAFDEC 2016d). Presently, the improvement of law enforcement and the distribution of information to boat owners regarding fisheries laws are being attempted in an effort to resolve these issues. This is important, given that the lack of a license and the non-payment of fishing fees by non-subsistence fishers is illegal according to Article 32 and 45 (see ‘Article 32’ and ‘Article 45’ pp. 43) of the ‘Law on Fisheries’ (FiA 2007).
‘Monitoring and control on fishing vessels registration’ forms no. 3. 2. 5 of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) 2016 for the FiA (FiA 2016). Cooperation between the FiA and other relevant authorities is required, for instance with the Marine Police and regional Fisheries departments. Additional support may also be required by relevant agencies, given that limited budget and manpower is one of the challenges faced in combatting IUU fishing (SEAFDEC 2016b). Together, these agencies can cooperatively develop greater levels of licensing and registration, whether by information dissemination or enforcement of relevant fisheries laws. Importantly, vessel registration allows for an MCS system to be established, a key step towards achieving sustainable fisheries. A MCS is defined as follows (FAO 1981);
Monitoring: the continuous requirement for the measurement of fishing effort characteristics and resource yields;
Control: the regulatory conditions under which the exploitation of the resource may be conducted; and,
Surveillance: the degree and types of observations required to maintain compliance with the regulatory controls on imposed fishing activities.
In a fisheries context, the purpose of a MCS system is to ensure that control measures, once agreed and adopted, are sufficiently implemented (Bergh & Davies 2002). Abiding by conservation measures is vital to the effective management of fishery resources. MCS places emphasis on encouraging compliance by fishers, as opposed to enforcing regulations upon them. However, the consequences of non-compliance must be fairly established relative to the effect they will have on the fishery. In the case of the proposed MFMA, fisheries laws against IUU fishing should be strongly enforced, whilst small-scale sustainable fishing should be encouraged.
MCS systems assist in achieving compliance with measures by providing feedback and information to the management strategy, which can be used to focus on compliance issues or otherwise. MCS information may be collected from official landing ports where catch monitoring can be recorded. Catch monitoring, a key aspect of MCS, provides essential information regarding catch quantities relative to fishing capacity (FiA 2016), as well as trends in the size and population of marine stocks. Unfortunately, owing to little official data on fleet composition, fishing effort and marine catch in Cambodia, it is not feasible to perform an assessment of fishing capacity (FiA 2016). Bearing in mind that the assessment of Cambodia’s fishing capacity is considered to be the first step towards developing a National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (NPOA-IUU), the need to implement MCS is of great significance (National FiA 2016).
Importantly, catch monitoring also hinders IUU fishing vessels, which lack registration and thus cannot dock at official landing ports where catch monitoring is conducted. The issue of IUU fishing products entering the market is addressed in the ´ASEAN Guidelines for Preventing the Entry of Fish and Fishery Products from IUU Fishing Activities into the Supply Chain´ (SEAFDEC 2016a). One of the primary objectives of these guidelines is to establish strategies and measures to prevent the entry of fish and fishery products from IUU activities into the supply chain. MRAG (2009) estimated the annual production from IUU fishing activities to be between 11 and 26 million metric tonnes, accounting for 10 to 22% of the world’s total fisheries production, and valued around US$9 to 24 billion per year. In Southeast Asia, some studies estimate the total IUU fisheries production to be valued close to US$5.8 billion (SEAFDEC 2016a). Clearly, this issue is pervasive and desperately needs combating via policy and ground-level changes, which a MCS framework will provide. In addition to this, fisheries MCS by Cambodia would align its interests with that of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Bergh & Davies 2002). This infers that implementation of the proposed MFMA aligns regional and national action with international instruments, i.e. the United Nations (UN).
As part of these ASEAN Guidelines, a strategy for data collection and reduction of IUU fishing is the ASEAN Catch Documentation Scheme (ACDS). The ACDS aims to improve the traceability of fishery products, the credibility of fishery products for intra-regional and international trade, and additionally prevent the entry of IUU fishery products into the supply chain of AMS (SEAFDEC 2016a). Following the principles outlined in the ACDS would greatly improve Cambodia’s catch monitoring and ease of fisheries law enforcement. Given Cambodia’s red card status with the European Union (EU) since November 2013 (European Commission 2015b), the scope of its international fisheries trade is limited. However, with the establishment of the ACDS and other sustainable policy and practical changes, for instance the implementation of the proposed MFMA, Cambodia could expunge its red card. Supporting this, in December 2014 Belize had its red card rebuked, after adopting ´lasting measures to address the deficiencies of its fisheries systems´ (European Commission 2015a). By following Belize’s lead, Cambodia as a whole could reap vast economic benefits for Cambodia, especially for fishery industries.
Cambodia is one of eleven countries that provides technical advice and assistance for the Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices Including Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in the Region (RPOA-IUU 2016). Notably, SEAFDEC is one of four organizations that fulfils a similar role. The RPOA aims to sustain vital fishery resources through the strengthening of fisheries management and the promotion of sustainable fishing practises in the region. Actions consist of conservation of marine resources and their environment, management of fishing capacity, and combatting IUU fishing in specific regions, including the Sub-Regional Gulf of Thailand. These actions are vital to ensuring food security and poverty alleviation in the region. The formation of the proposed MFMA would align Cambodia’s regional actions to that outlined in the RPOA, a vital step in developing sustainable long-term fishing practises. In turn, adopting the RPOA in Cambodia would set the foundation for embracing larger national and international instruments, for instance the developing NPOA-IUU, and the International Plan of Action (IPOA) to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing’.
The Kingdom of Cambodia’s Law on Fisheries (2007) – Laws Applicable to Fishing Activities in the Kep Archipelago:
Chapter 3 – The Fishery Domains:
Article 11:
The Marine Fishery Domain refers to marine water or brackish water that extends from the coastline at the highest high tide of the coastal lines to the outer limits of the EEZ of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
The Marine Fishery Domain is divided into:
– Inshore fishery area, which extends from the coastline at higher high tide to the 20m deep line.
– Offshore fishing area, which extends from the 20m deep line to the outer limits of the EEZ of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
– Fishery conservation area, seagrass area, and coral reef area which are habitats for marine aquatic animals and plants.
– Mangrove forest area including mangrove and forest zone which are important feeding and breeding habitats for aquatic animals, and protected inundated areas.
Chapter 5 – Protection and Conservation of Fisheries:
Article 20:
All kinds of fishery activities in the fishery domain by using the following gears shall be absolutely prohibited:
1 – Electrocuting devices, explosive stuff or all kinds of poisons.
4 – Spear fishing gears, Chhbok, Sang, Snor with projected lamp.
6 – Net of all kinds of seines with mesh size of less than 1.5cm in inland fishery domain.
8 – Pair trawler or encircling net with attractive illuminative lamp for fish concentration.
Article 21:
Producing, buying, selling, transporting and storing and electrocuting devices, all type of mosquito net fishing gears, mechanised motor pushed nets, inland trawler that are used for fishing purpose shall be prohibited.
Article 23:
The following activities are permitted under permission:
2 – Transporting, processing, buying, selling and stocking endangered fishery resources.
6 – Buying or selling ornamental shells of rare species.
Chapter 7 – The Management of Fishery Exploitation:
Article 32:
All types of fishing exploitation in the inland and marine fishery domains, except subsistence fishing, shall have:
1 – To get a fishing license.
2 – To pay tax and fishing fees to the state.
3 – To follow the regulations stipulated in the fishing license.
The hiring of fishing lots for exploitation can be undertaken through investment, public bidding or hiring, by agreement for those fishing lots, which have no bidders interested in bidding.
The legal procedures for investment, public bidding, hiring by agreement, and payment of fishery fees shall be determined by sub-decree.
Chapter 9 – Marine Fishery Exploitation:
Article 45:
All types of fishery exploitation in the marine fishery domain, except subsistence fishing, shall be allowed only in the possession of a license and these exploitations shall follow the conditions and obligations in fishing logbook.
The model of the fishing logbook shall be determined by the proclamation of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Article 47:
Fishers shall tranship fisheries products at a fishing port determined by the FiA.
Foreign fishing vessels that are permitted to fish in the marine fishery domain shall inform the FiA prior to port calls in marine fishery domains of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Other terms and conditions on transhipment of fishery products and anchoring of the foreign fishing vessels shall be determined by the fisheries administration.
Article 48:
Based on precise scientific information that the fishing practises have been or are being the cause of serious damage to fish stock, the FiA has the rights to immediately and temporarily suspend fishing activities and propose for a re-examination of the fishing agreement in order to seek for the decision from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Article 49:
Trawling in the inshore fishing areas shall be forbidden, except for the permission from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries at the request of the FiA to conduct scientific and technical research.
Article 50:
All fishing vessels which are not licensed to fish in the marine fishery domain shall not keep their trawl fishing gears stowed in a manner that they are ready for fishing.
Article 52:
Shall be prohibited:
1 – Fishing or any form of exploitation, which damages or disturbs the growth of seagrass or coral reef.
2 – Collecting, buying, selling, transporting or stocking of corals.
3 – Making port calls and anchoring in a coral reef area.
4 – Destroying seagrass or coral by other activities.
All of the above activities mentioned in points 1, 2 and 3, may be undertaken only when permission if given from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Chapter 15 – Penalties:
Article 103:
Any of the following activities committed by the Fisheries Administration Officer shall be considered as an offence and shall be subjected to an imprisonment from 1 to 3 years and can be fined from 5,000,000 to 50,000,000 Riels:
1 – Provide any permission against this laws.
2 – Participate in full or in part and directly or indirectly in any activity or fishery exploitation against this law.
3 – Forgive any fishery offence class 1.
4 – Running the fishing lot either as owner or a share-holder while being a civil servant.
5 – Do not timely report or complain the fishery offence class 1 which appears in their competence.
6 – Intentionally neglect in fulfilling duty or deceivingly give wrong information in writing, which causes the fishery offence class 1.
Marine Conservation is actively involved not only on the ground dealing with the frontline issues of foreign and domestic IUU incursions, we are also involved in the policy making processes. Our Founder/Director has been invited to speak as an expert on Cambodian IUU issues at both a national level and ASEAN level and currently sits as co-chair on the national fisheries sub-committee on IUU. Assisting Cambodia on its reforms within the fisheries sector and very specifically on addressing the current issues of IUU that are affecting Cambodia’s marine resources.
This Plan has now been included in the National Fisheries Annual Work Plan for 2017. Hard work does pay off!!!
After more than a couple of months of hard work, surveys, compiling existing data, and report writing. The first Marine Fisheries Management Area (MFMA) stage 1 Zoning Plan for Kep is finished, This document has now been submitted, to both National and Local Authorities in the hope that implementation will help to take the pressures of Keps already struggling Marine Habitats and Resources.
A big Thanks to everyone who worked on it, especially big thanks to our two our most wonderful volunteers Chloe Hatton and Brayden Cockerell, who worked day and night to finish the report within the deadline given.
You have found us!! Thank you for your passion and interest in Marine Conservation and Marine Research in Cambodia.
Welcome to our Volunteer Marine Conservation Project and welcome to our website, we hope that whilst looking through our site you will begin to see our vision of marine conservation and marine research here in Cambodia and the dedication, passion and responsibility we have to conserve and protect the areas we have been entrusted with.
At Marine Conservation Cambodia we work continuously throughout the year on the conservation, research and restoration of Cambodia’s marine resources with a special focus on the marine environments and marine issues in Kep Province. Our permenant dedicated conservation and research team is out on the water daily, monitoring, researching and protecting the health of the reefs, seagrass beds and other sensitive marine habitats all with the purpose of conserving the Ocean we have fallen in love with..
Once you join our team you will find we are not your average volunteer project, with or without volunteers our team and our project makes a continuous positive impact, we have a very passionate team that has given up their everyday lives to dedicate their time to protecting Cambodia’s marine resources, we really are just a big family. At MCC we offer a volunteer marine conservation experience like no other organization can. Being that we are a small grass roots family run organisation it allows us more flexibility in what we can offer to our volunteers and interns. We are not an International NGO or large worldwide charity, but a small local registered NGO right here in Cambodia. Many of the large voluntourism organizations and NGO’s are bound by extremely tight rules and regulations, which hinder many activities that a volunteer or intern can participate in. Here at Marine Conservation Cambodia we are not bound by these tight restrictions allowing our volunteers a once in a lifetime opportunity and ultimately the freedom to be involved in all aspects of a real marine conservation and marine research project.
We can prepare you for active in-field marine research, our training schedules allow our volunteers the opportunity to learn standard and specific reef and Seagrass monitoring methodologies, including detailed knowledge of substrates (including Coral and Seagrass species), invertebrates and fish (including In depth Seahorse identification), and of course become involved in our ground breaking seahorse research or participate in our new Marine Mammal project. Once you have completed your initial training you will become fully immersed in our monthly research schedule and are able to participate in daily scientific marine survey dives collecting important data that helps us monitor not only the changes happening within our newly created MFMA (marine fisheries management area) and the small MPA’s (marine protected areas) within it, but also gathering crucial data on Cambodia’s seahorse and dolphin populations. We also organise regular meetings with local fishing communities to collect information regarding their thoughts and needs regarding the status of their fishing grounds. Our team specialises in Seahorse research as it was Seahorses, or rather the threats to them that initially started what is now MCC, our new project on marine mammals is quickly becoming as loved as our seahorse work and we hope it will be the basis of a full monitoring program that will benefit all of Cambodia’s marine mammals.
As our conservation organization as progressed, we are also now very much involved in marine management/resource planning, with a lot of our time dedicated to the creation of Marine Fisheries Management areas, and the respective management of those areas. Our other main area of expertise is IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing) with our director sitting as co-chair on the Fisheries National Sub-commitee for IUU and MCC recently completing a country wide IUU hotspot report for the EU, our work on IUU is making a direct impact on tackling many problems that affect to Cambodia’s coastal fisheries.
We are not some standardised conservation holiday, we use your time, energy and money to protect Cambodia’s and specifically Kep’s marine environment, once trained the data you collect and the reports you will be involved in preparing, are used by both national and provincial authorities to plan, manage and protect Cambodia’s marine habitats and resources. Our last Conservation Zoning proposal which was completed in 2016 by our research team and our long staying volunteers has led to the creation of Cambodia’s second Marine Fisheries Management area and created an extended conservation area around our base on Koh Seh Island, that report can be found here.
Want to do more for marine conservation then just collect data? So do we! And we do! You can also join us on our privately owned boats to actively patrol our MPA and actually stop illegal/destructive fishing! Yes that is correct. Marine Conservation Cambodia volunteers are allowed to join our observational patrol teams supporting us while we actively stop illegal boats within our protected area, confiscate illegal fishing equipment, and force the illegal and destructive fishers to dump their catches back into the ocean. You can also get involved in our artificial shellfish reef/anti trawling devices and underwater landscaping projects and for those that are interested begin to learn about the issues, difficulties and solutions to engaging in marine conservation in a newly developing country such as Cambodia.
Do you already have a specific conservation, marine science or related area that you are studying or looking to study? Are you looking for a hands on academic internship? At MCC we are passionate about education on marine/coastal conservation and research, we want you to not only contribute to our project, but to feel that you have also increased your own potential, increased your own abilities and developed your potential career whilst volunteering with us. Our conservation and research team is there to facilitate your learning experience and make sure you get exactly what you need from your stay with us wether its your passion to conserve the ocean or your need to fulfil university course requirements. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring their own ideas with them. From, ICM (integrated coastal management) to aquaculture projects to new scientific techniques MCC welcomes your idea!
You can read some of the feelings of our previous volunteers here
Current Volunteer and Internship Research and Conservation Projects.
Potential Volunteer and Internship Research and Conservation Projects.
If you want to know more please look over our website and please feel free to email us with any questions.
For those interested in Academic Internships please find our Application Form Here.
Thanks again from the team at Marine Conservation Cambodia.
A few nights ago, Whilst out for a routine observational nighttime stargazing trip we encountered a group of around 7 illegal electric trawlers, they did not like to be seen and set about chasing our boats away from the area they were illegally fishing in, here is a short video of the final moment of the chase when we turned the tables and began chasing back.
You can also read the Phnom Phen post article here.
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One of the most amazing things about doing conservation is when you begin to see positive results or activities caused by your work.
Over the past two years Dolphin sightings within our small protected area have been increasing, both in the number of sightings and also the numbers of Dolphins in each of the Pods that we see.
On the 18th and 19th of January we had the pleasure of seeing A large Pod of 12+ individuals visit on two consecutive days. Below is a short video from the first day.
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Word has it that the Liger Learning Center was named in honor of Napoleon Dynamite’s favorite animal. As devoted fans of the movie, that alone was enough for me to be excited about the arrival of twelve students and three teachers from Liger for a week of firsthand experience with marine conservation. However, soon after they piled off the boat, settled in to their bungalows, and began to explore the little island of Koh Seh, my excitement doubled. Why? Because it was apparent these were exceptional students: exceptionally bright and inquisitive, and exceptionally gracious and polite.
They were eager to learn about all aspects of our marine world such as seahorse and coral reef research and MCC’s stand against illegal trawling, but no amount of factual information could compete with the founding of their sensory connection to the sea. For many, it was their first time playing in the gentle waves of the ocean at the end of each day. Only the combination of dinner and dusk could get them out of the water. When they had the opportunity to snorkel over the reef, their eyes lit up and their spirits soared in that particular way that says, “Yep, I’m hooked!”
So many amazing events happened throughout the week: picking up 130 kilos of trash off the beach, flying a drone over the island for an awesome perspective of land meeting sea, student-guided experiments, bunker exploration, dance parties, sunset watching, a campfire, stargazing and spotting bioluminescent plankton.
The best part is that this is only the beginning of their experiential education while partnering with MCC. As a project-based school, over the course of the next year Liger students will likely tackle an important aspect of the addressing the local trawling issue: providing a viable alternative livelihood for illegal fishers. Through researching and developing a sustainable algae-based aquaculture market, these inspiring teens have the power to substantially heal Cambodia’s biologically rich and diverse coast.
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