Surrounding Net

Purse seine/ring net(Khmer name Uon Tith)

       There are two types of purse seine that have been introduced in Cambodian waters. The ones that are operated without light are legal fishing gears which have been used for a long time by Cambodian coastal fishermen. This gear was operated only in the shallow water (inshore zone) or offshore. The second one, which is used in combination with light to attract schools of fish, is called light luring purse seine. This fishing gear has been prohibited in Cambodian waters and it is very rarely used by Cambodian fishermen, but it has been used by vessels from neighboring countries in offshore waters of Cambodia.

       Light luring purse seine is very difficult to control because it is operated with vessels that have high power and when they see the Cambodian fisheries inspection boat they escape to their waters and moreover, this gear is legal in Thailand and Vietnam.

       The main species caught by the above mentioned fishing gears are pelagic fishes such as mackerel, sardines and other small fishes but mackerel comprises around 80 to 90 % of the total catch. Purse seine and Anchovy encircling seine are operated in the same manner but differ in mesh size. Purse seine has a mesh size of 1 cm and Anchovy encircling seine has a mesh size smaller than 1 cm like mosquito net and it catches mainly anchovy species.

       This fishing gear use only the fishermen who live in Sihanoukville and number of this gear has decreased (Tab. 5) because of the degradation of the natural resources and also disturbance from pair-trawlers and light-luring purse seine in the offshore waters of Cambodia. Now the fishermen who use this type of fishing gear have changed their fishing methods to operate at night time and combine with other fishing gears such as trawl or gill net.

                                              Table5.Number of Purse seine/ ring net in Cambodia

Province/ Municipality	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Kep	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kampot	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sihanoukville	13	14	15	16	16	15	15	8	10	10
Koh Kong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	13	14	15	16	16	15	15	8	10	10

(Source: DoF of Cambodia, 2002)

Fishing Gear and Methods

      Purse seine in Cambodia can be grouped into there type

          -Anchovy encircling seine (Khmer name Uon Ka Koeum)

          -Beach seine (Khmer name Uon Khov)

          -Encircling seine (Khmer name Uon Huom)