Falling water levels affecting fish population
The Fisheries Administration has voiced concern over declining fish population caused by the decrease in water levels at lakes and rivers in the Kingdom.
In an interview with a local media outlet, its director Hong Hy said yesterday the water levels in many important rivers in the Cambodia, such as Tonle Sap and the Mekong, continue to fall during the prolonged dry season, which is affecting the fish breeding cycle and migration.
“The end of June is normally the breeding season for many types of fishes, especially the Pangasius fish, but so far this year, there is no sign of migration and reproduction,” he said.
The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in the region and usually provides Cambodia with 500,000 tonnes of fish or about 70 percent of the country’s total annual protein intake. However, last year, natural fish catches amounted to only 14,023 tonnes.
Som Kanika
