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Koh Kong—On May 24, 2020, H.E Veng Sakhon, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) led a delegation to visit Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Center located in Tuol Koki village of Koh Kong province. The purpose was to learn about WCS’s Royal Turtle Conservation Project which has been implementing since 2001 in collaboration with MAFF’s Fisheries Administration (FiA) and local community along the Sre Ambel River System in Sre Amble district in Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk.
Accompanied by H.E Eng Chea San, Delegate of the Royal Government of Cambodia, Director General of Fisheries Administration (FiA), MAFF and H.E Mithona Phouthorng, Koh Kong Provincial Governor, the minister showed his strong support and motivated the project team to continue putting more efforts in order to protect and conserve the Royal Turtle—the Cambodia’s National Reptile—so their population in the wild keeps increasing in the near future.
Since 2001, the project has made significant achievements in its management and conservation activities which included research, nest protection, care of hatchlings and breeding, strengthening law enforcement, education and awareness raising, release of adult Royal Turtles into the wild, and community development with the support from the government and other related development partners.