Authorities release 4.5 tonnes of poached clams into Tonle Sap Lake

A joint task force in Kampong Thom province, Cambodia, returned more than 4.5 tonnes of freshwater clams to the Tonle Sap Lake.

The authorities seized the clams from 18 fishers who were harvesting the shellfish during a prohibited period. The military operations command seized the clams in the Peam Bang commune on November 5. Investigators found that the fishers used five motorized boats equipped with dredging machines and sieving tools to collect and transport the clams.

The fishers, who traveled from Siem Reap province to the area, signed agreements to follow fisheries regulations before the authorities allowed them to return home. Major General Som Sun, the commander of the provincial military operations command, called on local authorities to conduct regular checks to stop illegal fishing. The province has currently suspended all forms of commercial clam harvesting in the lake to protect the resources for the public.