Fighting Over Fish: Deadly Disputes in the Gulf of Thailand
By: Jack Laurenson, A Digital Nomad
Tags: Fishing, Conflict, Cambodia, Vietnam, Conservation

Fighting Over Fish: Deadly Disputes in the Gulf of Thailand

A Vietnamese fishing vessel from the island of Phú Quốc, flying the country’s distinctive red flag, was photographed by activists and Cambodian fishermen as it was chased out of “their” waters.

Kampot, Cambodia — From the shoreline next to Kep’s iconic seafood and fish market, the huge Vietnamese-controlled island of Phú Quốc looms in the distance. It feels almost close enough to reach out and touch.

As the sun sets, the channel between Cambodia and this contentious neighbouring island comes alive with the flickering, multi-coloured lights of hundreds of fishing boats. Engines hum and buzz in the distance as a nightly battle for the sea’s valuable resources commences.

According to local fishermen and marine-life experts, the vast majority of these vessels are Vietnamese; and their methods and over-fishing is causing havoc with the coast’s vital fishing economy, whilst jeopardizing important conservation efforts.

To some here, Phú Quốc is regarded as rightful sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia — some opposition politicians here still claim it as such — and others feel that the island represents greedy tyranny on their near horizon.

“Our fishermen here have to go further and further to catch good crab and fish now,” says one Cambodian restaurant owner, who has been resident in Kep his whole life.

“The Vietnamese have bigger and more powerful boats, with long nets, and they use electricity too,” he says of his neighbours, who compete with local anglers for the best seafood.

“The Vietnamese vessels are difficult to compete with. You can see them and hear them off our coast every night.”

Phú Quốc — formerly a South Vietnamese prisoner of war camp and before that, briefly a Taiwanese military base — has a rapidly growing economy that rivals that of Cambodia, and whilst tourism to the island is increasing, fishing remains their most important industry.

Kep however, a mere 20km from the island, remains Cambodia’s premier destination for quality seafood — especially crab — and the local economy is hugely reliant on the sea for food and tourism.

Fishermen and conservationists here are up-in-arms therefore, about what they say is Vietnam’s continual ongoing over-exploitation of the local seas, as well as regular incursions, which have previously resulted in violent clashes, into Cambodia’s territory by Vietnamese fishermen.

Following a surge in violent clashes between Cambodian fishing crews and Vietnamese vessels, as well as serious accusations of corruption, Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng recently ordered coastal authorities to properly police maritime borders and crack down on unauthorised fishing.

But fishing communities and activists continue to call on officials to better aid them in their fight against what they say is the illegal encroachment of foreign trawlers, who they accuse of using banned destructive methods such as 100m long electrified nets to harvest the water.

One local campaigner, who asked to remain anonymous, says that despite Kheng’s pledge to better empower authorities to tackle encroachment and over-fishing, the ravaging of oceans off of Kep continues.

The activist and conservationist — who is active in the waters between Phú Quốc and Camodia’s southern coast — regularly shares pictures and videos of his vessel and boats operated by the Department of Fisheries intercepting what are alleged to be illegal Vietnamese fishing boats.

“I’m sitting here listening, once again, to the sound of around 50 illegal trawling vessels nearby right now,” said the frustrated eco-warrior last week.

The trawlers — that reportedly operate in Cambodian waters every night — vastly outnumber the amount of vessels that can be deployed by the navy, maritime police and fisheries department combined, and authorities have been accused of not doing enough to challenge them.

“The illegal trawling by these fishermen is affecting the livelihoods of many, as well as damaging the health of coral reefs, sea grass and underwater habitats. It also destroys breeding grounds and nurseries for many different species,” said the anonymous campaigner.

Activists and local anglers argue that although authorities have ordered them not to intercept or engage with illegal fishermen, especially Vietnamese trawlers, for fear of more violent clashes, they themselves are not stepping up to do enough. Some campaigners though have pledged to ignore government directives and escalate their fight against illegal trawlers, even raising funds through crowd-funding to expand and improve their interception operations.

They say their fight will continue for as long as it’s necessary.

“The question is, if we’re not allowed to do it, and the authorities aren’t out there, then who will stop them?”