Marine Conservation Cambodia

Marine Conservation Cambodia's volunteer and internship program came to be simply out of necessity. The rate in which the Cambodian waters and local fishing communities were being destroyed was unprecedented. It was not inconceivable that the fishing industry and livelihood of the fisherman would have vanished in 10 years. If this had happened it would have been more than a loss of income for these families. It would also have been the loss of a significant and fundamental part of their culture, potentially forever.

Marine Conservation Cambodia saw the country needed help and decided to step in. After years of hard work, playing the political game, and simply letting our actions speak for themselves, quite quickly the local communities realized we were here to help. As time went on the Cambodian government also realized our goal was not to end fishing, but to achieve a sustainable and also a responsible way of fishing whilst supporting local communities and help to increase Cambodia’s marine resources.

Marine Conservation Cambodia and the volunteers that have joined us along the way, have made a huge impact in protecting Cambodian waters but many of these destructive practices are still happening. Another threat to Cambodian waters is an influx of foreign fishing boats illegally entering Cambodian waters to fish, as some neighboring waters are almost completely fished out. The Cambodian government simply does not have the resources to stop this, Our work at Marine Conservation Cambodia and the work of our volunteers and interns continues and we are here to make that big difference that is so desperately needed.