"Zero-Snaring" campaign in Cambodia ends with satisfactory results, says top official

PHNOM PENH, Nov 6 (Xinhua): "Zero-Snaring" campaign, led by Cambodia's Ministry of Environment (MoE) with the cooperation and support from conservation organizations, was wrapped up with proud results, MoE's Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra said on Sunday.

The campaign, running from March to September this year, had been organized in Kratie, Stung Treng, Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Preah Vihear and Kampong Thom, aiming at ending the trap crisis and the illegal wildlife trade in the Southeast Asian nation.

"The campaign's results from the six-month rallies in the targeted provinces showed direct participation of more than 3,000 supporters, over 600 stories and news articles were produced, published and broadcasted by the press in Cambodia and international media, reaching more than 3 million people," Pheaktra told Xinhua.

"Also, 52 restaurants in the six provinces targeted by the campaign proclaimed their commitment to not serving bushmeat in their restaurant menus," he said.

He added that all of these restaurants have received certificates from the MoE in recognition of their commitment to and participation in combating illegal wildlife trade.

"We thank the partner organizations for joining the Ministry of Environment in organizing this important campaign to change people's behavior towards wildlife consumption and raise public awareness of the consequences that snaring causes to wildlife and people," Pheaktra said.

The official said it is not known how many snares are set in Cambodia's protected areas each year, but the Ministry of Environment reports showed more than 60,000 snares were removed in 2021.

He added that according to the results of previous studies by the ministry and partners, only 20 percent of the total estimated numbers of snares are removed from protected areas each year.

"From tortoises to elephants to monkeys and birds, snares kill indiscriminately," he said. "Wildlife languishes for days before dying from their injuries, lack of water, or starvation."

Snares are a major contributor towards the functional extinction of tiger in Cambodia and the rapid decline of the Indochinese leopard, he said, adding that Cambodia's banteng, Sambar deer and other ungulates are threatened with local extinction due to snaring.

"The Zero-Snaring campaign will not stop here but will continue to be implemented like drizzle as it will be extended to the Cardamom Mountains region, covering provinces of Kampong Speu, Koh Kong, and Pursat, among other areas, in which wildlife sanctuaries are situated, while they are known as wildlife poaching and trafficking hotspots as well," Pheaktra said. - Xinhua