Cambodia's shoreline is 435km long and includes the two provinces of Koh Kong and Kampot, and
the two municipalities of Sihanoukville and Kep. The seaward boundary has been defined as the outer
limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, 55,600sq. kilometres) (Nelson, 1999) but the landward
boundary has not yet been defined. Cambodia’s coastal and marine areas contain a diverse range of
habitats and other living resources. Compared to neighbouring countries, these habitats and
resources remain relatively intact, providing important nursery and feeding areas for a variety of
species, especially those of significance to marine capture fisheries.
From a functional perspective, Cambodia's coastal zone is comprised of two inter-related systems,
ecological and socio-economic systems. The ecological system includes the physical, chemical and
biological parametres that provide natural resources, sequester pollutants and offer fundamental lifesupport
functions (e.g. clean air and water) for humans and other living organisms. The socioeconomic
system is largely dependent upon the many functions and products of the ecological
system.
Seagrass beds are critical habitats that support a diverse range of resident and migratory species,
including some considered to be endangered and vulnerable. Since the 1972 Stockholm Conference
on the Human Environment, an over-riding concern in the protection of the marine environment has
been that of pollution. However, notwithstanding a number of regional action plans and conventions
that have since been developed and implemented for the management of marine pollution, the quality
of the marine environment has declined over the last thirty years (Miles, 1999).