Commentary: Where are the Indonesian conservation experts?

Jakarta Globe 25 September 2015 Indonesia is the second-most important country in the world for conservation. It has more species than pretty much anywhere else in the world, but threats are high. Compared to many other countries things are still pretty good here. In fact, and despite the many depressing conservation stories, Indonesia remains the crown jewel of Southeast Asian conservation. Read More…

New study finds almost half of US seafood is wasted each year

The Fish Site 24 September 2015 New research from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) has found that around 47 per cent of the edible US seafood supply is lost each year, mainly from consumer waste. This huge amount of waste also adds to other problems threatening global seafood resources such as overfishing, pollution and climate change. The findings, published in the Read More…

North Sea cod no longer on red list of ‘fish to avoid’

BT.com 25 September 2015 Conservationists have taken North Sea cod off a red list of "fish to avoid" eating, as the ailing fishery begins to show signs of recovery. The fishery, which collapsed in the 1980s as a result of overfishing, has risen above dangerously low levels for the first time after years of reduced fishing and efforts to avoid catching cod in mixed fisheries, the Marine Read More…

Wastewater kills fish in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam

Viet Nam News 24 September 2015 Ba Ria-Vung Tau – The Environmental Police Department in this southern province has decided to fine eight fisheries processing plants for polluting local rivers. These plants have discharged wastewater every day into Cha Va River in Tan Thanh District's Tan Hai Commune. The wastewater pollution is one of the causes behind the mass deaths of fish in local fish Read More…

Mekong Delta farmers warned climate change to affect livelihood

Vietnam Net Bridge 24 September 2015 If there are no reasonable solutions to adapt to climate change, Mekong River Delta residents will have to scale down their agricultural production in the near future, or go bankrupt because of lack of materials for production. The warning has been repeatedly given by experts at recent workshops and official conferences. Nguyen Phuong Lam, deputy Read More…

Plastic bags remain major source of litter in Cambodia

Voice of America 5 September 2015 Many years ago, banana or lotus leaves were used to wrap up snacks and other goods. These days, it’s plastic bags. The country is littered with them. Increasingly, Cambodians are beginning to worry about their impact on human health and the environment. Yet there’s a long way to go to get rid of them. Ear Phun, a vendor at O’Russei Market, in Phnom Read More…

The Cowboys of the Mekong

Khmer Times 3 September 2015 The calls almost always come at night. Three or four times a month, the mobile phone of Koh Pdao’s river guard outpost will ring. A villager has spotted illegal fishermen somewhere along a 10-kilometer stretch of brushy island shore and wants them caught. In the minutes that follow, Noun Bunna and four companions will note the caller’s general location, don Read More…

Mekong region gets satellite-data boost

Khmer Times 2 September 2015 The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, USAID and a range of participating organizations have launched a five-year initiative they hope will transform the way in which the government, organizations, universities and citizens use data for research and decision-making. Called Servir-Mekong, the project will focus on Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Its Read More…

Vietnam focuses on coastal eco-system, mangrove forest protection

Vietnam Net Bridge 31 August 2015 The safeguard of coastal eco-system and mangrove forest in the Mekong Delta region will be given a push as phase two of the Integrated Coastal Management Programme (ICMP) recently kicked off in An Giang province. The ICMP, built with a total budget of 8.8 million EUR (US$9.7 million) sourced from the German, Australian, and Vietnamese Governments, will be Read More…

Two-month haul shows uptick in illegal fishing

The Phnom Penh Post 11 August 2015 Cambodia's river guards have reported confiscating more than 35,000 metres of gill nets, 21 boats and an assortment of homemade grenades during patrols in Mekong Irrawaddy Dolphin Sanctuary in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces between May and July. However, just three offenders accused of illegal fishing were sent to court during that period. The haul, Read More…