Research
Students count the cost of tangled propellers
September 24, 2026
Kampong Phluk, August 2023. Sixteen students from Angkor University, in three groups, began interviewing boat owners in Kampong Phluk. It was the start of the Propeller Project, designed by Ocean Recovery Alliance, NGO2 BambooShoot and Angkor University.
The survey then moved to other communities on the lake. The project was built into the students’ coursework.
What they found
According to Ocean Recovery Alliance, 643 boat owners and users took part in Kampong Phluk, Kampong Khleang, Chong Khneas and Mechrey. 98% said they meet plastic or old nets when travelling by boat. On average, each person spends 7.5 minutes a day freeing a propeller. Together, the people surveyed lose 70 labour-hours a day.
Read more about the Propeller Project.
Sources: Phnom Penh Post, 28/08/23; Ocean Recovery Alliance, Propeller Project.
