Thursday, 12 February 2009

In Brief: Officials deny sale of dolphin meat

The Phnom Penh Post

Written by May Kunmakara
Thursday, 12 February 2009

Governmental officials have denied recent accusations from Thai environmental authorities that Cambodians are involved in the illegal trafficking of dolphins to Thailand, where they are allegedly sold as meat. "I guarantee that my province's people did not do it," said Yuth Phouthang, governor of Koh Kong province. "I ban my people from catching dolphins for business, and ... they draw a lot of tourists to visit my province every year."

Touch Seang Tana, director of the Dolphin Protection Committee, said that the government had committed itself to preserving local dolphin populations. "We have put strict pressure on dolphin-catching since early 2006," he said.

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