Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Environment chaired a meeting of the inter-ministerial technical working group to review and amend the law on forestry, the law on fisheries, and the law on protected areas.

Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Sot Ya led the technical officers from the departments under the General Department of Protected Areas and the inter-ministerial technical working group, including the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Fisheries Administration, and the Forestry Administration.

The meeting continued to review and discuss the draft law on fisheries and agreed on Article 3, Article 5, Article 6, and Article 7.

Article 3 of this law applies to all fishery resources, both naturally occurring, processed and aquaculture in the Kingdom of Cambodia, both processed fisheries and aquaculture in the Kingdom of Cambodia, as well as fishing outside the jurisdiction of the national jurisdiction in accordance with the law of the coastal state or in accordance with international conventions or instruments or agreements to which the Kingdom of Cambodia is a party.

Article 5: Management, conservation and development of fishery resources under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, except for the management, conservation, and development of fishery resources within the system of protected areas shall be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment in accordance with the law in protected areas. The Royal Government can determine the specific roles, responsibilities, and cooperation for the competent ministries and institutions related to the fisheries sector.

Article 6: The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has the role of the Royal Government in managing the conservation and development of fishery resources within its jurisdiction in accordance with the national fisheries policy, the framework of the fisheries strategic plan, the national fisheries management plan and Provisions of this Act. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries shall establish a specialized unit in charge of fisheries. The organization and functioning of the specialized units in charge of fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries shall be determined by sub-decree.

Article 7: The Royal Government or the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries may transfer certain functions and responsibilities in the management, conservation, and development of fishery resources to sub-national administrations.

The meeting also agreed to continue to review and provide input on the draft law on fisheries by their respective units and then provide input to the NCDD Secretariat of the Ministry of Interior before 22 March and meet again on the 24 and 25 March 2022.