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The Forestry Administration (FA) of MAFF continues to implement the National Forest Programme (NFP) 2010-2029 which remains unchanged and includes initiatives in: forest demarcation, classification and registration; conservation and development of forest resources and biodiversity; forest law enforcement and governance; community forestry; and capacity and R&D. Under the NFP, a range of support measures include: research and training services (research and educational projects in support of conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife); monitoring and assessment (development of systems and forest databases); and marketing and promotion services (development of eco-tourism and integrated community livelihood) in protected areas. Its implementation cost for the period 2010-14 stood at US$38.8 million, of which donors contributed US$27 million; its cost for the period 2015-20 was estimated at the same level. Forestry's regulatory framework remains unchanged.

In line with the NSDP 2014-2018 guidelines (Section 2.2), the MoE established four protected zones (i.e. core, conservation, sustainable development, and community development) to prevent encroachment on the protected areas through the development of agro-industry and ecotourism projects and the establishment of protected area communities. Under the 2016 MoE reform (Section 4.1.2), the MAFF transferred forest land to MoE, thus increasing total protected areas from 23 to 46 sites including biodiversity corridor conservations of protected area systems with a surface equivalent to 40.9% of Cambodia's territory. In 2016, a national committee was established to prevent and suppress forest offences in north-eastern Cambodia and as a result forest offensives on a large scale decreased; the Forestry Administration prevented and suppressed illegal logging and land encroachment in 1,490 cases, which is 699 cases less than in 2015.

Illegal timber trade persists in Cambodia. Despite the 1996 log export ban, the cross-border trade continues to grow. Between 2011 and 2015, exports of roundwood, industrial roundwood, wood charcoal and veneer sheets have more than doubled whereas those of total fibre furnish, recovered paper and wood chips and particles dropped considerably; in 2015, exports of Siamese rosewood attained US$35 million despite the ban on exports of endangered species. The 2005 Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, an EU initiative, provides a framework for the development of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) to ensure that timber and timber products exported come from legal sources. In 2013, Cambodia completed a study with a view to acceding to the VPA but no action seems to have been taken so far.

(...) Inefficient forestry management can be regarded as an implicit subsidy for logging.

(...) Under NSDP 2009-2013 (Sections 2.2 and 4.1.2), Cambodia established 516 fisheries communities and 354 conservation zones within the fisheries community area, alongside 50 new conservation areas and eight fisheries conservation zones in Tonle Sap lake covering 22,500 hectares, thus protecting the flooded forest surrounding Tonle Sap lake of 647,000 hectares. (...)

(...) Cambodia's marine fisheries face two serious productivity threats: excessive fishing effort (including significant unregulated foreign fishing activity) and habitat degradation. The level of subsistence fisheries and fishery workers has increased, partially as a result of developments in the forestry sector (Section 4.1.5.3), forcing ex-forestry workers to the coastal zone where many become involved in fishing. Export demand is also encouraging additional fishing effort, especially for the high value species.

Cambodia continues to implement the Strategic Planning Framework for Fisheries 2010 2019 (SPF) and the Declaration on the National Policy for the Fisheries Sector. The SPF is mainly aimed at boosting fish production to serve domestic consumption and export markets by relying on the three pillars: freshwater and marine-based natural resources fisheries; freshwater and marine aquaculture; and facilitating processing and trade. It provides for: the suppression of all violations of laws, rules and regulations related to fisheries including tightened control of fishing gears and fishing period; elimination of overfishing; strengthening fishing communities' capacity for the management, use and conservation of fisheries resources; protection of biodiversity; and aquatic-animal habitats; control of freshwater and seawater quality through pollution minimization, protection and replanting of flooded forests and mangroves; demarcation of flooded forest and fisheries conservation zones; development of institutional and human capacity; and preparing research studies and their dissemination. An SPF 2015-2024 seems to be in place. It would appear from this and previous paragraphs and those that follow (e.g. concerning the absence of quotas for TAC) that fishery management is inefficient, thus jeopardizing its long-run sustainability and thus viability.

The institutional framework in the fisheries sector remains unchanged. The Fisheries Administration (FiA) of MAFF is responsible for the management and conservation of fishery resources in a sustainable manner. In cooperation with the MoC, it seeks ways to reduce trade barriers that affect the fisheries sector, in line with the Government's Trade Sector-Wide Approach (TradeSWAp).

No major changes were made to the fisheries regulatory framework. The 2006 Fisheries Law encourages the creation and proper maintenance of conservation zones and strongly promotes the development of aquaculture. It also ensures long-term conservation and sustainable management of fishery resources taking into account social, economic and environmental factors. Furthermore, it ensures local community rights to use fishery resources for traditional, religious and livelihood purposes through the establishment of community fisheries. A 2000 sub-decree reduced the area of fishing lots by 56% and made 538,522 hectares available for family-scale fisheries.

No total allowable catch (TAC) or other quotas are set for marine fisheries. Coastal fishery is freely accessible for boats smaller than 33 hp. Since the early 2000s when the fishing rights were given to fishing communities, the number of bag net fishery licences has remained constant at around 80. The fishery law bans trawling in the area between the shoreline and the 20-metre isobath. As many of the trawlers are small and unsuitable for use in offshore areas, much of the trawling is done illegally in these areas. To reduce illegal fishing, serious penalties are envisaged for those who break the law, including government officers. To investigate, prevent and counteract illegal activities and compile documents for submission to courts, the officers of the fisheries administration are considered as judicial fisheries police. Despite the fact that inshore trawling is clearly illegal, the FiA is reluctant to enforce the ban. No government action seems to be taken to halt the illegal trawling activity. The number of foreign vessels operating in Cambodian waters is also a source of contention. Jurisdiction over waters claimed by Cambodia is complex and the number of foreign vessels is difficult to estimate due, inter alia, to the fact that the licensing function is shared between several government agencies. Since 2014, the EU has enforced a ban on fish imports from Cambodia under its 2010 illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing regulation due to the country's failure to implement and comply with international legal obligations in this area, as there is neither action against illegal fishing by foreign vessels flying the Cambodian flag nor a legal framework and effective monitoring, inspection and catch certification schemes. The authorities indicated that no new IUU-related legislation is under preparation.