Pulling in his net one recent morning, he found just one crustacean. Ung Bun dropped the crab - a male that was too small - back into the sea.
Releasing them and the small male crab were acts Ung Bun wouldn't have done a few years ago, part of a conservation campaign he joined this year that seeks to ensure a more sustainable future for crab catching. Escalating emissions also result in higher levels of carbon dioxide being dissolved in the sea, lowering its pH level. The warmer and more acidic water reduces the concentration of carbonate, a compound necessary for shellfish to create their shells.The Cambodia government's crab releasing campaign dates back to 2010 but this year it began working with Wild Earth Allies, a non-profit organisation. Since July, people in the fishing community who take part have been rewarded with gifts.