Cambodia will begin the creation of its first Marine Protected Area (MPA) this year, covering some 300 square kilometres of coral-rich seas around islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem in the Gulf of Thailand.
This follows a successful two-year scientific survey of the area by Coral Cay Conservation. Announcing this, the UK NGO said it would continue to work closely with the Government of Cambodia, project partners and local stakeholders, to assist in the development and management of the project.
Over the past two years, volunteers have collected the information needed to provide a scientific basis for the creation of a large-scale, multiple-use MPA around the islands. The managed area will include a wide diversity of habitats rich in coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds, in addition to the upland rainforests found on both islands.
The project is receiving funding from the Blue Moon Fund, with further support from Cambodian partners, and Flora and Fauna International.
Coral Cay said the next steps are to continue to monitor the marine habitats and work with local partners, communities and the private sector to ensure that a consensus is reached to support different conservation management zones and encourage the development of low-impact tourism initiatives.
Coral Cay’s Head of Science, Jan-Willem van Bochove, who presented results from the scientific survey, said it was an honour to be working with such a conservation-minded government.The MPA set to be implemented later this year will help secure some of Cambodia’s most precious reef systems and hopefully create the momentum for the establishment of further MPAs throughout the region.
In his report van Bochove stressed the importance of continued monitoring of reef health on all sites around Koh Rong in the coming years.
What is needed now is to conduct regular monitoring activities along permanent stations. This information will provide important feedback on the success or failure of the MPA to protect coral reefs and associated habitats. It will also allow for adaptive management practices to be implemented if needs be.
People & the Planet 2000 – 2010