Cambodia using concrete ‘reefs’ to thwart trawling

This year, countries, including the UK and Ghana, committed to bans on the destructive practice of bottom trawling. That’s where weighted nets are dragged across the ocean floor to scoop up large catches of sea life. In Cambodia, one island community is using a more tangible strategy. Locals on Cambodia’s Koh Sdach are dropping large cement blocks in near-shore waters, lying in wait to snag a trawling boat’s fishing net. The blocks can also help promote biodiversity and increase fish populations by serving as artificial reefs. Leila Goldstein spoke with fishermen at sea on Cambodia’s waters.