Lake waters, hope at low ebb in Battambang
For generations, Sokha’s family has lived in Bak Preah village on the Sangkae River – which passes through Battambang province and connects to the Tonle Sap lake about 70 kilometres away – depending almost solely on catching fish for their food and income. But with the water levels remaining low and the cycle of flooding upon which the local ecosystem depends disrupted due to years of drought, the fish stocks have been decimated, forcing Sokha’s sons – and many others – to move elsewhere for work, a new phenomenon for the close-knit community. Commune chief Long Phon said about 95 per cent of the villagers’ livelihoods depended on fishing, but catches had been declining for years, with 2015 and 2016 the worst anyone had experienced.
