Military police have been taking bribes to allow wealthy traders in Battambang’s Ek Phnom district to use illegal fishing equipment in the Prek Tuol protected area, fishing community residents allege.

Despite several crackdowns by fishery police and local authorities, illegal traders had continued to collude with military police to use banned nets, Sinh Samorn, the head of Koh Chivaing commune’s fishing community, said.

An anonymous fisherman said wealthy locals paid military police $1,000 a month to use illegal nets and a military police commander had demanded equal sums from poor families.

District police chief Yea Bunnoeun said he was aware of the complaints and would investigate.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at [email protected]