Cambodia launches second phase of zero-snaring campaign in protected areas

PHNOM PENH, March 5 (Xinhua): Cambodia's Ministry of Environment and its organisation partners have launched the second phase of zero-snaring in protected areas campaign, targeting another six provinces, officials and conservationists said.

The Ministry of Environment's Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra said that launched early this week, the five-month campaign would be carried out in Pursat, Kampong Speu, Koh Kong, Siem Reap, Battambang, and Pailin provinces.

"The aim of the campaign remains focused on increasing public understanding of the consequences of snaring, such as health risks and nature loss, as well as advocating the need for conserving wildlife, biodiversity and natural resources for sustainable development," he told Xinhua on Saturday.

Pheaktra said eradicating all types of snares in Cambodia's protected area is an ambitious goal, adding that public participation is critical not only to stop snaring but also to be engaged in solutions tackling the root causes of snaring crisis and the illegal trade in wildlife.

In a joint statement released on Friday, the Ministry of Environment and its organization partners said snaring and poaching are a major contributor to the extinction of the iconic Kouprey (wild cattle), and tiger in Cambodia.

"Snares are also silently driving the decline of some of the globally important wildlife such as Banteng and Indochinese Leopard," the statement said. "Ungulate species such as Guar, Sambar deer, and Muntjac also continued to be threatened."

A study series on ungulate populations in the eastern plains by the Ministry of Environment and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) showed that between 2010 to 2022 Banteng, Muntjac and wild pig populations had declined by 89 percent, 65 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

"The record of wildlife declines in forest landscapes sends a warning sign about imbalanced natural ecosystems of the areas, eventually causing impact on people's livelihoods," WWF-Cambodia country director Seng Teak said.

"But it is not too late to turn this situation around to make a difference, by adopting collective actions now to urgently address the root causes of the wildlife decline and to put nature on the path to recovery," he added.

The second phase of zero-snaring campaign was initiated as a result of the success of the original one, which reached more than 3 million people.- Xinhua