PHNOM PENH: The Cambodian government and wildlife conservationists have urged the people to help end the snaring crisis and combat wildlife trafficking.
They called upon all Cambodians to stop buying, selling, and consuming wildlife as this would bring an end to the notorious practice of snaring wild animals.
According to reports in the local media, the call was made by the Environment Ministry and partner organisations during the launch of the "Zero-Snaring" campaign in Kampong Thom province last Friday.
Similar campaigns have already been launched in four provinces located on the eastern side of the Mekong River – Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Kratie and Mondulkiri.
The campaign will continue to Ratanakiri province next month and a similar campaign will also be launched in the Cardamom Mountain provinces – Kampong Speu, Koh Kong, Pursat, Battambang and Kampong Chhnang – all of which covered large areas of protected areas where many snares had been discovered.
The organisations involved in the six-month campaign are the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Conservation International (CI), WWF, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Birdlife, Wild Earth Allies and the Regional Community Forestry Training Centre (RECOFTC).
The Khmer Times reports that with the campaign urging people to boycott bush meat and other wildlife products, 47 restaurants and eateries have so far announced that they will not sell bush meat.
During the launch, Ministry of Environment Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra urged people to stop poaching, snaring, trading, and consuming wildlife.
He said consuming wildlife does not improve human health and that bush meat and animal parts should not be used for medicinal purposes.
He also cautioned that increased human-to-animal contact increases the risk of spreading viruses and other diseases.
"I urge all individuals to say no to buying, selling, and consuming wildlife. I encourage everyone to join the effort in eliminating and putting an end to the snaring crisis, combat wildlife trafficking, and protect the Kingdom's wildlife and natural resources," he said.
According to The Phnom Penh Post, he said that after the campaign ended, the ministry would evaluate the results of the six-month campaign.
He noted that there has been an increase in the understanding of the impact of snaring and this also led to a drop in the consumption of wild meat as people learned about the importance of biodiversity.
"We will look further into the results that we have achieved, evaluate them in a scientific way with our partners and design future plans accordingly," he said.
According to the ministry, more than 60,000 different types of snares were removed from protected areas last year, and about 20 per cent of them were set up in protected areas across the country.
The Khmer Times reports Acting Mission Director for USAID Cambodia Rebecca Black saying that wildlife was being snared, poisoned and shot daily in Cambodia and that if collective action was not taken immediately, Cambodia's forests would become empty.
"The anti-snaring campaign being launched in Kampong Thom is an important step in raising awareness to address this crisis.
"Individuals may think the animals they snare won't make a difference, but added up, snares can deplete wildlife. We must also continue to encourage local communities to work closely with local authorities to combat snaring and illegal wildlife trafficking.
"We realise that people need a way to make a living. USAID Cambodia will continue to provide Cambodian communities living in and around protected areas with livelihood options such as wildlife-friendly agriculture and ecotourism development," she said.