{"asset":"news","key":"3729","locale":"en","id":"news:3729:en","entityId":"news:3729","canonicalUrl":"https://www.kps-tv.com/en/news/detail/3729","state":"ready","title":"Agriculture ministry secretary of state highlights digital management of marine and coastal fisheries","summary":"Prak David highlighted vessel monitoring and coastal fisheries management in Sihanoukville on December 15, reporting GPS on about 1,500 provincial fishing vessels and a mobile aquatic-health laboratory handover.","body":"Prak David, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said instability, conflict and geopolitical tensions along the Cambodia–Thailand border highlighted the inestimable importance of peace, cooperation and dialogue in sustaining development and human values. He urged collective efforts to protect peace and stability and strengthen the country’s development foundations.\nHe spoke on December 15, 2025 in Sihanoukville at an event under the programme for sustainable and inclusive fisheries growth, capture component. The event focused on strengthening marine and coastal fisheries tracking, monitoring, management and surveillance through digital systems and was led by ministry Undersecretary of State Sim Rachana. Prak David attended on behalf of Minister Dith Tina, alongside Preah Sihanouk Deputy Governor Nay Kong, FAO Representative in Cambodia Rebekah Bell and leaders of relevant ministries and institutions.\nPrak David said the event focused on making marine and coastal fisheries management more effective through a digital vessel monitoring system (VMS) for tracking, monitoring and management.\nThe event showcased key achievements in digital marine and coastal fisheries management, aiming to ensure transparency and accountability. With direct European Union funding to the Fisheries Administration and FAO technical assistance, the CAPFISH-Capture programme, implemented from 2019 to 2025, contributed to inland, marine and coastal fisheries resource management and conservation, modernisation of fisheries management, and technical and institutional capacity development.\nHe said modernising VMS was important for managing marine and coastal fisheries resources. Previously, once vessels left port, their location and fishing activity could not be tracked; the system now provides timely information on location, speed and direction to improve management and monitoring. He reported that about 1,500 fishing vessels in Preah Sihanouk province had GPS installed for tracking and monitoring.\nHe added that VMS served not only fisheries management and monitoring but also fishers’ safety. It enables communication so authorities can issue timely warnings of risks or danger, facilitate prompt rescue, or alert fishers approaching conservation areas, fishing-prohibited zones or borders. Cambodia had also introduced a marine fisheries monitoring and inspection action plan for 2020–2024 and updated it in 2025. He said the report demonstrated Cambodia’s commitment to international obligations and tackling challenges towards the European Union’s removal of its “red card” against Cambodia.\nHe reiterated to vessel owners, fishers and private-sector partners that the systems were not intended as surveillance for punishment, but to protect the present and future livelihoods and interests of fishers, fishing communities and businesses trading in fish and fishery products.\nHe said another important milestone that day was the handover of a mobile aquatic animal health laboratory to the Fisheries Administration, strengthening national capacity to prevent and manage aquatic animal diseases and supporting aquaculture development in Cambodia.\nArticle: Pai Sokhim\nPhotography: Keo Dara","contentScope":"full","proof":{"publishedSourceRevision":"1","publishedWorkingVersionId":"16414","languageVersionId":"13793","visibilityVersion":"2","versionToken":"a1.6Ym6ceoW5U7QYiby3pwQw8mpfz5zm83WD-dndO8WHOY"},"availableLocales":["zh","en","km"],"attributes":{"sourceLocale":"km","translationKind":"machine","nodeId":"12","authorText":"","sourceName":"KPS99TV"},"references":[],"links":[],"publishedAt":"2025-12-16T09:22:41Z"}