Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 5 hrs ago
Koh Sdach communities work to protect Cambodia’s marine resources
Koh Sdach is an archipelago in Cambodia where many families rely on fishing, with tourism also providing income.
Local leader and marine advocate Sorn Srenh works with fishing communities to protect the area’s waters and livelihoods.
Community members patrol designated fishing areas to help prevent illegal fishing and protect marine life.
Women also take part in the patrols.
Srenh is working with Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration and the conservation group Fauna & Flora to establish a Marine Fisheries Management Area.
Overfishing, plastic waste and climate change are among the pressures facing the waters, while weak enforcement makes protection harder.
Srenh says conservation must be balanced with local livelihoods and calls for stronger cooperation and long-term support from government and conservation groups.
Koh Sdach commune deputy chief Sorn Srenh is working with local fishing communities to protect marine resources in Cambodia’s Koh Sdach archipelago.
Community members patrol fishing areas to deter illegal fishing and help protect marine ecosystems and livelihoods.
Srenh works with the government’s Fisheries Administration and the NGO Fauna & Flora on a community-managed Marine Fisheries Management Area.
He says fishing is the main source of income for local families, alongside tourism.
He describes overfishing, plastic waste, climate change and gaps in law enforcement as challenges facing the area’s waters.
- Who
- Koh Sdach commune deputy chief and marine advocate Sorn Srenh, working with local fishing communities.
- What
- Community efforts to protect marine resources include patrols, fisheries enforcement and work to establish a Marine Fisheries Management Area.
- When
- The article was published on October 12, 2026; it does not state when the efforts began.
- Where
- Cambodia’s Koh Sdach archipelago.
- Why
- Fishing is the main source of income for local families, and marine conservation is intended to protect livelihoods and biodiversity.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Community livelihoods in this archipelago highly depend on fishery resources, as fishing is their main source of income, on top of the tourism sector.
The goal is to strengthen fisheries law enforcement to combat illegal fishing and protect our marine resources.
That experience motivated me to explore the sea’s ecosystem more deeply and follow my curiosity to learn more.
Sorn Srenh has worked with the Fisheries Administration and Fauna & Flora to help establish Koh Sdach’s community fisheries management area.
Fishers in Koh Sdach were photographed for Mongabay.
Mongabay published its interview with Sorn Srenh about community-led marine conservation.
- Location
- Koh Sdach archipelago, Cambodia
- Community leader
- Sorn Srenh, Koh Sdach commune deputy chief
- Management area
- Marine Fisheries Management Area (MFMA)
- Partners
- Cambodian government’s Fisheries Administration and Fauna & Flora
- Main income source
- Fishing; tourism also contributes to local livelihoods
Sources
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