Algae Bloom Was Natural, Says Ministry

[geovalin]

Khmer Times/Mom Kunthear

The Environment Ministry on Friday released its final study on the algal bloom that forced swimmers out of the water in Kep province in early April, stating no chemical substances were found in the bloom that would have negatively affected human or animal health. The ministry’s statement said it collaborated with environmental experts at the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia to sample and research the bloom, backed by a technical fund from the Western Pacific.

It said the results were the same as the previous studies conducted by the ministry. “The plankton that were in the sea were normal plankton and it did not have the kind of plankton which affects human’s and animals’ health. Also, it did not contain toxic chemicals,” the statement said.

The ministry concluded the bloom was a natural phenomenon caused by an increase in water temperatures in the region due to the El Nino weather pattern, leading to a rise in plankton and seaweed. It confirmed that the death of aquatic life was due to a loss of oxygen in the water due to high water temperatures. “Stop worrying about the problem of the quality of sea water for swimming and eating at Kep province from now on,” the statement said.

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