Fifty-two suspects were referred to court – by officers from the national and provincial commission for the suppression of fisheries offences around the Tonle Sap Lake – from the beginning of March to the end of August.
Twenty-six of them have been charged and imprisoned, according to Ung Try, spokesman for the Fisheries Administration.
Try told The Post that a vast amount of equipment had been seized during the crackdowns, including 154 boats and almost 1,300 electric shock devices.
“Police sent 52 suspects to court. 26 of them were remanded into custody on charges of using electric shock fishing devices and other illegal fishing tools in a fish conservation area,” he said.
According to Article 98 of the Fisheries Law, if convicted, the 26 suspects will each face between three and five years in prison.
According to Try, Pursat and Siem Rep were the scenes of the heaviest offending. Pursat forces sent 21 offenders to court, while Siem Reap officials charged 17.
