Government officials are complaining about fishing lot owners who have failed to pay more than $1.5 million for last year’s taxes, while lot owners contend they deserve compensation for fishing areas lost because of government reforms.
Owners of the lucrative fishing lots have filed complaints with the Fisheries Department requesting compensation after Prime Minister Hun Sen turned more than 500,000 hectares of privately-owned fishing waters over to subsistence fishermen.
Lot owners say those broad fisheries reforms ordered last year have prevented them from catching enough fish to both turn a profit and pay their lot fees.
The premier’s move came amidst increasing tensions on Cambodia’s waters between private lot owners and poor fishermen who said they were being forced off their traditional fishing grounds.
Despite Hun Sen’s move to open up fishing areas to the public, fisheries officials say private lot owners still have more than enough fishing areas and are only using the reforms as a pretext for not paying their taxes.
Only about $77,000 in taxes have been collected, according to Fisheries Department Director Nao Thuok.
“We have to demand that they pay. If they don’t pay we will file a complaint to the court,” he said.
Nao Thuok also said, though, that 54 fishing lots previously set aside for research will be put up for public auction this year to give private owners more fishing areas.
A meeting between the Agriculture and Finance ministries is expected to settle the issue of outstanding lot taxes.
