Following a successful two-year scientific survey programme of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem in the Gulf of Thailand, Coral Cay is delighted to announce that it will continue to work closely with the Royal Government of Cambodia, project partners and local stakeholders, to assist in the implementation of Cambodia's first well managed Marine Protected Area (MPA) around Koh Rong Island in the Gulf of Thailand.

Over the past two years, Coral Cay volunteers have done a commendable job in collecting the information needed to provide a scientific basis for the implementation of a large-scale, multiple-use MPA around the islands (see our latest report here). The managed area will be around 300km2 and include a wide diversity of habitats including coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds in addition to the upland rainforests found on both islands.

The two year project is receiving funding from the Blue Moon Fund in addition to further support from our in-country project partners, Flora and Fauna International. The next steps are to continue to monitor the marine habitats and work closely with local partners, communities and the private sector to ensure that a consensus is reached to support different conservation management zones and encourage the development of low-impact tourism initiatives. As part of this process, a stakeholder workshop was organised in Phnom Penh and attended by Coral Cay’s Head of Science, Jan-Willem van Bochove to launch the three year project. Jan-Willem, who presented results from Coral Cay’s scientific efforts, said “CCC is honoured to be working with such a conservation-minded government.The MPA set to be implemented later this year will help secure some of Cambodia’s most precious reef systems and hopefully create the momentum for the establishment of further MPAs throughout the region.”

Speaking at the launch, the British Ambassador to Cambodia, Mark Gooding said, “I am delighted that this new project will contribute to Cambodia’s sustainable development and the protection of marine areas in Cambodia. The loss of biodiversity and degradation of the environment around the world represents a threat not only to the ecosystem, but to the livelihoods which depends on it. I therefore welcome The Royal Government of Cambodia’s efforts to boost marine protection, and am pleased that the UK is able to support the creation of Cambodia’s first Marine Protected Area.”

For more information about the Cambodia Coral Reef Conservation Project, visit http://www.coralcay.org/.