News / News Bulletin

Cambodians go traditional in fishing ceremony

Sunday, 10 February 2019 5:34 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 February 2019 5:39 PM ]

Wielding handmade bamboo baskets and nylon nets, hundreds of people waded thigh-deep into a muddy lake in eastern Cambodia for an annual fish-catching ceremony where only traditional tools are used.

The ceremony is held each year in eastern Tboung Khmum province after the crop harvest to commemorate the country's proud fishing history. The event -- held in Choam Korvean commune, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the capital Phnom Penh -- attracts hundreds of farmers from surrounding villages.

The Southeast Asian country, which boasts the mighty Mekong river and its many tributaries, is heavily reliant on fish as a major source of protein for its population. About 40 percent of the population depend on fishing for their livelihoods.

But fish stocks have declined in recent years due to hydropower dams built upstream in Cambodia and neighbouring countries, and the increase of illegal fishing methods, said Om Savath, who heads the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), which promotes sustainable resource management.

The fish-catching ceremony in Choam Krovean is important because it helps to "raise awareness in communities about the use of family methods in fishing," he said.

(Source: AFP)

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk