Massive forest clearing found in Koh Kong province

[geovalin]

The Wildlife Alliance yesterday discovered over 200 hectares of mangrove forests within Koh Kong province’s Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary were illegally cleared. In a press release obtained yesterday, the wildlife and forest conservation NGO said the discovery of the forestry crime was made following a routine forest canopy disturbance monitoring conducted by the organisation.

 

“It showed a large-scale, systematic and complete removal of mangrove forest at an industrial scale by heavy machinery. Some locations inside the sanctuary with large-scale mangrove removal are already being filled up with quarry soil, seemingly in preparation for construction,” the statement read. The Wildlife Alliance said mangroves are vital for Cambodia’s resilience to climate change and serve as a physical barrier along the coast against high storms and sea-level rises, which are now occurring at a much faster pace than was previously seen.

 

Wildlife Alliance founder and CEO Suwanna Gauntlett said yesterday she called on urgent action to stop the clearing of mangrove forests, noting approximately 227 hectares have been cleared in the sanctuary located at the province’s Khemara Phoumin city. “We just discovered it yesterday, so we don’t know when it started nor who did it,” she said. “Seeing the large-scale, systematic clearing, it is obvious that expensive heavy machinery was used, thus indicating that the land clearing was not done by poor farmers.”

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50720606/massive-forest-clearing-found-in-koh-kong-province/

[bodga]

Let me  guess, no one saw anything, no one heard anything, it didn't  happen!

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, bodga said:

Let me  guess, no one saw anything, no one heard anything, it didn't  happen!

That's a big 10-4 lil buddy....

[yuyiinthesky]

Isn't near there a big area which China took over?

[ratcatcher]

7 hours ago, geovalin said:

“Seeing the large-scale, systematic clearing, it is obvious that expensive heavy machinery was used, thus indicating that the land clearing was not done by poor farmers.”

How about checking expensive heavy machinery operators in the area? These things do not fly in and out at night.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

How about checking expensive heavy machinery operators in the area? These things do not fly in and out at night.

They come in under the cover of bribes.