KAMPOT: A ‘shark ray’, an endangered species of sea fish, weighing 70 kg, was found by fishermen in Chum Kreal village, Chum Kreal commune, Teuk Chhou district, Kampot province, at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, 28 December 2022.

The director of the Kampot Provincial Fisheries Administration, Sor Sorin, verified to EAC News that it was a fisherman who saw the shark ray swimming close to his boat and reported it to the Provincial Fisheries Administration. To save the animal’s life, the provincial fisheries administration carried out an inspection before releasing the shark ray into the Kampong Bay canal.

Sor Sorin confirmed that this is the first time that the Provincial Fisheries Administration has spotted a shark ray, as it is one of the world’s endangered fish species.

According to the Kampot Provincial Fisheries Administration director, this shark ray probably lives in the deep sea area of Kampot Province and also likes to swim in the estuaries.

"Maybe Kampot has many estuaries, and it was found when it swam close to the beach," he said.

He added that after releasing this rare ray, the Provincial Fisheries Administration has encouraged the people, especially fishermen, to jointly preserve this species.

The shark ray is a species that lives in the East Atlantic and Mediterranean seas and is listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered.