Sand mining raises concerns for Cambodian fishing community

What you need to know

• Mongabay reports that provincial authorities approved a sand-mining operation on the Trapeang Rung River. The same report says Cambodian trade statistics recorded 694,000 metric tonnes of natural sand exported by sea to Singapore between June and September 2026, valued at US$3.47 million, but it is unclear how much, if any, came from this operation. 1
• Fishers told Mongabay that mining has obstructed access to fishing grounds. Some also described turbid water, oil slicks or dead shrimp; these are reported observations, not a measured assessment linking environmental changes to the operation. 1
• A 2023 survey of Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent Koh Kapik Ramsar site recorded 74 fish species, many commercially important to local fishers. The survey provides regional context, not a before-and-after assessment of mining impacts at Trapeang Rung. 4
• A review of riverine sand-mining research found that extraction can affect habitats and aquatic ecosystems, while noting that documented impacts vary and supporting evidence is often limited. It cannot establish what has happened at this particular site. 5
• Singapore’s Parliament discussed Cambodian sand imports and responsible sourcing on 8 September 2026. The minister said sand for reclamation is sourced commercially from countries where it is legally permissible, and that exporters are expected to follow source-country laws, but did not clarify this operation’s status. 21

Why this matters

The report places local fishing access alongside concerns about extraction in a wider mangrove and estuary landscape with documented fish diversity. But without site-specific monitoring, the extent of ecological harm and its contribution to changes reported by residents cannot be determined. 145

What happens next

Key checks include clarifying which permits and legal instruments authorise the operation, verifying the reported export total against complete Cambodian and Singapore trade records, and establishing whether monitoring is being conducted near the site. The sources reviewed do not answer these questions. 1235

What we know

• Mongabay reports that the operation has resumed on the Trapeang Rung River and that provincial authorities approved it. 1
• Fishers interviewed for the report describe blocked access to fishing grounds and observations including turbid water, oil slicks or dead shrimp. 1
• The 2023 regional survey recorded 74 fish species in Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent Koh Kapik Ramsar site, many of commercial importance to fishers. 4
• The Cambodian customs data-search page retrieved for this report displays data only through June 2026, while Singapore’s parliamentary response does not give country-specific import quantities. 32

What we don't know

• The sources do not resolve the operation’s legal status or how it relates to the reported national export ban. Singapore’s general statement on legal sourcing does not address this specific operation. 12
• The reported June-to-September 2026 export total cannot be independently verified using the Cambodian data page retrieved for this report, and the sources do not establish what share came from Trapeang Rung. 123
• There is no site-specific monitoring in the sources reviewed that measures changes in water quality, habitats or fish stocks and attributes them to the current operation. 145
• The reporting does not establish whether affected fishing communities were consulted or whether any promised community benefits have been delivered. 1

Read the reporting

This WildNews briefing synthesises and summarises reporting from the sources below. WildNews did not produce the original reporting. Learn more about how we use AI