Government’s protected landscape officials in Mondulkiri province awarded excellence in law enforcement

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Sen Monorom town, Cambodia– Forestry Administration, Ministry of Environment and Provincial Police officials receive award for Best Law Enforcement Monitoring Effort in critical tiger landscape presented by the WWF’s Tiger Alive Initiative at a ceremony today attended by Government Officials from these institutions and from the Governor Office, representatives from provincial judiciary and WWF staff.

The award illustrates the importance of the work that protected area officials, rangers and WWF teams achieved on the ground in their mission against poaching of tiger, prey and other illegal activities.

In his speech to participants, His Excellency Heng Sam Nang, Deputy Governor of Mondulkiri province, said that this international award was making history because this was the first of its kind ever presented to the provincial enforcement unit.

“With this pride, the enforcement effort needs to continue stronger in order to provide security to the landscape’s significant animal species and protect them from wildlife trade,” he added.

Cambodia is among 13 tiger range countries worldwide. The Eastern Plains Landscape in Mondulkiri is one of the few tiger landscapes together with China, Indonesia, India and Nepal to be rewarded for Excellence for protection efforts.

Forestry Administration, Ministry of Environment and Police officials believe the award is a good motivation for all patrol members and will increase effectiveness in their enforcement action.

“We are very pleased to receive this award, which represents the values of every piece of our action on the ground,” said Mr Keo Sopheak, Forestry Administration’s Mondulkiri Protected Forest Manager.

Mr Samrangdy Vicheth, Ministry of Environment’s Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary Manager, said that the award honoured the enforcement effort by the Government in protected areas management and preservation of country’s wildlife heritage.

This awarding also excites the WWF’s Cambodian youth tiger ambassadors, who use this opportunity for raising awareness among other youth about the importance of tiger conservation. They have organized an online forum on facebook from 11th until 13th of December.

Ms Keang Seangly, one of the ambassadors, said that she was happy to continue to support global youth tiger actions and promote awareness about tiger among Cambodian young generations.

The Eastern Plains Landscape has the best potential for tiger recovery and prey restoration. Tiger experts say it has perhaps the highest potential in Asia to help tiger populations recover.

With technical support from WWF, a mobile enforcement team led by the Forestry Administration operates all over Mondulkiri province to stop the trade in wildlife and forest products. In addition, Forestry Administration and Ministry of Environment staff patrol regularly inside Mondulkiri Protected Forest and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary respectively.

“The high levels of law enforcement effort by nearly 60 rangers patrolling regularly inside and outside protected areas is a big deterrent for poachers,” said Ms Michelle Owen, Conservation Programme Manager with WWF-Cambodia. “However much more effort is needed in order to eradicate poaching in this critically important landscape,” she continued. (From WWF)