Hundreds of kilograms of an outlawed fish species known locally as “bird fish” were confiscated in Preah Sihanouk province on Tuesday, a fisheries official said yesterday.
“We confiscated 770 kg of illegal fish called ‘bird fish’ on Tuesday morning in Prey Nop district’s Toek La’ak commune on National Road 3,” said Duong Sam Ath, Preah Sihanouk provincial fisheries administrative chief.
“Two men were transporting it by car from Kampot province to Preah Sihanouk province, intending to sell it there,” he added.
The Agricultural Ministry banned the sharp-toothed fish, which is not native to Cambodia, in 2003, because it has the potential to destroy local fish populations.
The fresh-water fish, native to the Amazon, is related to the piranha. “It is a very dangerous fish…. It eats meat, and other fish will die because of it,” Mr Sam Ath said, adding that each fish weighed about 1 kg and was still fresh. He said the seized fish meat would be donated to Preah Sihanouk military police and an orphanage.
