Seven Vietnamese nationals including two minors were charged on Saturday with using illegal fishing equipment after being caught with 500 kg of young fish on the Tonle Sap lake in Siem Reap province, authorities said.
“We arrested the Vietnamese nationals because they used illegal fishing equipment to collect young fish in the lake,” said Prin Sovin, director of the Fisheries Administration’s Siem Reap cantonment, adding that his officers seized fishing equipment and released about 500 kg of young fish back into the lake.
Provincial court spokesman Yin Sreang said the Vietnamese nationals had been charged under article 99 of the fishery law, which covers “fishery offences carried out in the fishery domain that causes damage to fishery resources.”
“The seven fishermen were already charged [on Saturday] by the investigating judge Lim Sokuntheara, and they are now at the provincial prison for provisional detention,” Mr. Sreang said.
The suspects face one to three years in prison and a fine of 5 million to 50 million riel, or about $1,250 to $12,500.
