PHNOM PENH, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia got 6.375 million euros (about 7 million U.S. dollars) in grants from the European Union (EU) on Monday to support the reform of the fisheries sector of the Southeast Asian country.
Igor Driesmans, ambassador of the EU to Cambodia, announced the release of the grants during a meeting here with Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina, according to an online press statement from the EU side.
The grants will be used to support key areas of the fisheries reform, such as monitoring, control and surveillance, flooded forest protection, conservation of marine fisheries, transfer of grants to community fisheries, research and food safety.
Tina said the agriculture sector including fisheries and forestry are facing global challenges that continue to require strong partnership with all stakeholders to mitigate and adapt to its negative impacts and transform constraints into opportunities.
As for the fisheries sector, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is fully committed to supporting its sustainable development in both inland and marine areas, through the whole value chain for the benefit of the fishermen, aquaculture farmers and entrepreneurs, as well as consumers, the minister was cited as saying in the statement.
"We are also committed to the protection and conservation of our aquatic habitats and resources," he added.
Driesmans said the EU-Cambodia partnership on fisheries sector is large and strong, despite the immense challenges. ■