Phnom Penh (FN), April 1 – In the wake of reports by the locals and the authorities of Kep (about 150km south of Phnom Penh) and at the same time that the Ministry of Environment has announced that parts of the sea waters in Kep became unusually and heavily green and tainted with a substance that could be harmful to health, Prime Minister called on people in Kep town to refrain from eating seafood and bathing until after specialized authorities have addressed the problem.

“I would like to call on people living within the geographical areas of Kep, especially national and international tourists to be very careful and to hold off consuming seafood and bathing for a while,” wrote the premier in his Facebook page on April 2.

The people will be informed after responsible authorities have completed a thorough study in the issues especially on possible health impact, the premier emphasized. He also called for sharing of this update information with everybody who may not have access to Facebook or not aware of the issue at all.

Also on April 2, the Ministry of Tourism issued an instruction to Kep Municipal Office of Tourism to disseminate the information as widely as possible among the local people and tourists to refrain from bathing and eating seafood especially in the areas of Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) and others islands within geographical areas of Kep.

Local people and tourists yesterday spotted that some parts of the water along the beach became unusually and heavily green and that some species in those areas were seen dead as a result.

=FRESHNEWS