Agriculture minister Dith Tina addresses the Senate during the approval process of the fisheries draft law. Agriculture ministry
A draft fisheries law was approved by the Senate on June 16. The proposed bill was subject to thorough examination and feedback from Senate members, along with a clarification session presented to a plenary session by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Dith Tina.
The approval was made during the 3rd session of the 5th legislative term of the Senate, chaired by Senate president Hun Sen.
“The Senate plenary session has unanimously approved the entire draft law without amendment, with all 60 members of the Senate voting in favour,” announced a press release on the outcome of the session.
The draft law was designed with the goal of effectively managing, conserving and developing the fisheries sector, aiming to ensure long-term food security and economic and environmental sustainability.
It also aims to protect the rights and benefits of fishers, fishing communities, aquaculture operators and businesses, in line with socio-economic and technological developments, while promoting participation in the sustainable management and conservation of fishery resources within regional and international frameworks — particularly in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The draft law consists of 15 chapters and 104 articles, with two annexes. It was approved by the National Assembly with 103 votes in favour during the 4th session of the 7th legislative term on May 22.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO Cambodia) described the approval as “a significant achievement for Cambodia’s fisheries sector”.
The FAO highlighted that this legal milestone reinforces Cambodia’s commitment to food security and sustainable resource management, while also safeguarding the rights and interests of fishers, fishing communities, aquaculture operators and various private sector stakeholders.
It noted that the new law will contribute to efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and ensure alignment of Cambodia’s fisheries legislation with regional and international standards.
It added that the new draft law is a product of the efforts of the Fisheries Administration, under the agriculture ministry. It was developed with support from the CAPFISH-Capture programme, which is funded by the EU and implemented with technical assistance from FAO.
The overall goal of the CAPFISH-Capture programme is to strengthen Cambodia’s legal and regulatory framework, promote compliance and law enforcement, and support sustainable management of fishery resources through capacity building and institutional support to the Cambodian government.
