News

Zero-Snare Campaign Phase II launched in Kampong Speu

The second phase of the ‘Zero-Snare’ Campaign was launched yesterday in Kampong Speu province. The campaign aims to educate, disseminate and help citizens participate actively in the prevention of wildlife trapping and trafficking in the Central Cardamom Mountains.

The Ministry of Environment, partner organisations and stakeholders in charge of the campaign joined a press conference yesterday in Kampong Speu province at the local offices of the Ministry of Environment.

Neth Pheaktra, spokesman for the ministry, said that the main aim of the Zero Trap campaign is to stop trapping in protected areas of Kampong Speu in the Cardamom Mountains, as well as to cultivate a love of wildlife among the public and promote eco-tourism.

“We see that Kampong Speu is a province rich in wildlife, especially in the Cardamom Mountains. We hope this campaign will reduce the number of wildlife traps and help end consumption of wild game for food throughout the province,” he said.

Kao Sovanrith, deputy governor of Kampong Speu, said that the province is one of the most important eco-tourism destinations in Cambodia and has many of these sites.

With this in mind, local authorities must try to stop selling wild game for consumption, he said.

Om Mak Theary, Director of Kampong Speu Provincial Department of Environment, said that there are six natural resource conservation sites in Kampong Speu province, covering an area of more than 27,676 hectares.

He added there are currently 79 park rangers patrolling natural resource conservation areas across the province. Their duty is to prevent wildlife trapping, natural resource crimes and illegal wildlife shooting in three districts of Phnom Sruoch, Thpong and O’ral districts.

“In 2022, our environmental officials removed a total of 840 traps from natural resource conservation areas. They confiscated 130 chainsaws and 15 cases related to natural resource crimes were prosecuted in court,” he said.

Oum Sony, Country Director of Conservation International Cambodia (CI), said yesterday that the organisation has been active in Cambodia since 2001 and has partnered with the Ministry of Environment to establish a 401,313-hectare area, the Central Cardamom Protected Forest.

He added that the Central Cardamom Mountain National Park is the largest rainforest in Cambodia, accounting for 30% of fresh water flowing into the Tonle Sap River during the dry season. The Tonle Sap is the most important source of freshwater fisheries in Southeast Asia.

Sony added that CI has cooperated with the Ministry of Environment on the conservation of the national park according to four key objectives: management and law enforcement through patrols by park rangers, improving community livelihoods, arranging for long-term financing and monitoring biodiversity,” he said.

“1,795 traps were removed from protected areas last year. That compares to 1,154 traps removed in 2021 from protected areas in Pursat, Koh Kong and Kampong Speu,” he said.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com