I am the Deputy Chief of the Sdey Krom Roharl Suong Community Fishery in Prek Loung Commune, Ek Phnom District, Battambang Province. I have spent more than 20 years in community fisheries work. I started my career as a primary school teacher at a refugee camp in Thailand for six years. When I returned to Cambodia, I became involved with the local Farmer Promotion Association and later began working in community fisheries. I have since worked to organize and establish community fisheries in multiple districts, and act as a consultant to train communities in non-violent actions to resolve land and forest disputes and fishing issues. My other activities include restoring habitat in conservation areas for fish, planting flooded forest species, and producing news stories related to fisheries resources, and livelihoods of people in the community. I provide training to strengthen the capacity of community members and committees, including working to prevent illegal fishing.

My work is important to me because fish play a role in reducing poverty and generating income for fishers. Fish that are caught in the wild are rich in protein, and Cambodians consider fish as our main staple. Flooded forests play an important role in reducing the effects of climate change and erosion, while also providing nutrients to agricultural land. Some submerged vegetation is used for traditional medicines and firewood, while fruits, leaves and flowers from some submerged plants can be used as food. To encourage others to support conservation, I consult and discuss all important work with community members, and try to be a role model by contributing more of my personal resources and effort than others. I try to give people an opportunity to participate in events, exchange their knowledge and experiences, and to see other views outside the community. I work on fundraising and producing community news through Facebook, TV, Telegram, meetings and workshops. Through my work, I have learned to be flexible in different circumstances and political situations, and to be honest and transparent.

My hope for the future is that the Riang Pen Bei Tor Conservation and Development Area in my community will become an ecotourism site or recreation area that is rich in different types of flooded forest trees, birds, fish and other species. At the same time, I hope the poverty rate of the community around the Conservation Area will be lowered because people can catch more fish than they currently do, and they can sell organic fruits and vegetables to visitors and tourists. To me, conservation means seriously and carefully protecting what we currently have from disappearing, and searching for what is lost. I want people to understand that by not using illegal fishing gears, not destroying flooded forests, and by releasing juvenile or rare fishes back to the wild, they have already contributed to conservation work. I believe conservation is like storing grain to be widely distributed later. I wish to preserve our ancestral heritage and leave a legacy for the next generation.