Endangered Asian Giant Softshell Turtle Eggs Rescued
The eggs were found by fishermen in Koh Chreung village and reported to the river guard and Koh Chreung fishing community on March. 4. Photo: Stung Treng's Fisheries Administration
- By Rin Ousa
- March 6, 2024 3:30 PM
PHNOM PENH – Fifty-five Asian giant softshell turtle eggs have been found by fishermen at a stretch of the river in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces.
Srey Somvichet, director of Stung Treng Fisheries Administration, said it was the first time this year that these eggs had been seen in Stung Treng.
“All of these eggs have been kept and hatched in a safe place at Koh Preah since March 5,” Somvichet said.
“We can see the positive result from the participation of local fisheries in reporting their discoveries to our working group quickly.
“Otherwise, those eggs would have been seen by opportunists which could affect these rare species’ hatching.”
Asian giant softshell turtles or frog head turtles in Khmer are listed as critically endangered on the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The eggs were found by fishermen in Koh Chreung village and reported to the river guard and Koh Chreung fishing community on March. 4.
To protect these rare species and other crucial aquatic species, Somvichet said Stung Treng Fisheries and Administration cooperated with local authorities, river guards and the community to patrol around the Mekong river.
“Our working group also posts various information related to endangered species on our social media platforms,” he said.
The turtles were believed to be extinct in the Mekong in Cambodia in 2003 until their discovery in 2007 in a stretch of the river in the provinces of Kratie and Stung Treng.
