Click titles to view
Press Releases here
News from other Fishing Cat range countries here
Cooking videos land couple in hot water
11 May 2018 – Phnom Penh Post
The Ministry of Environment has said it will act against those who produce cooking videos where rare wildlife was the mainstay of the dishes.
The matter came to light when such videos, which were posted on YouTube as an income stream, were criticised on social media.
Chea Sam Arng, head of the Environment Ministry’s General Directorate for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection, said the ministry received information about the videos on Wednesday.
Those responsible for the videos went to the ministry on Thursday afternoon to admit their involvement.
“We are now in the process of taking legal action against them while the working group is preparing a report on the matter.
“The animals that were cooked were mostly not on the endangered list, but are protected. Only one species was in danger of extinction,” he said.
Rare cat population to give creature comfort
4 January 2017- Khmer Times
Fishing Cat in a tree at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre
The Khmer Times characterises studies on the Fishing Cat in Cambodia and looks forward to the field work of the Kla Trey | Cambodian Fishing Cat Project (that’s us!).
“The fishing cat is one of the most threatened cats in Southeast Asia, but Cambodia has some of the best habitats for them.”
– Vanessa Herranz Muñoz, Principal Investigator.
Cooked Cats Are Causing Chaos
9 December 2016- Khmer Times
Roadside vendors on National Road 6, which connects capital Phnom Penh with Banteay Meanchey, are found with a variety of bushmeat for sale, including what they describe to buyers as ‘fishing cat’.
Dean Lague, technical adviser for Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Response and Rescue Team (WRRT) : “Despite what some traders might claim, to date none have been found to be wild cats.”
Phew! Such enterprises may prove harmful to other wild cats, however;
“It is possible they could be leopard cats, which are of similar appearance and size as domestic cats. Although they are classified as a common species here, their numbers are not sufficient to allow the traders there to sell them in the quantities sold from that area.”
Authorities confiscated the meat, acting on vendors’ false claims: “Saying they are fishing cats or wildlife meat, when it is actually dog and cat meat… These kinds of businesses deserve to be cracked down on,” Batheay district police chief Sam Nal said.
We will keep our eyes and ears out for similar reports as such enterprises may adversely impact Fishing Cat numbers. In the meantime, the Wildlife Alliance WRRT continue to “Take the time to ensure the traders are educated regarding the forestry law and also the general environmental impact their trading is having,” Lague said.
Fishing Cat Working Group meets Otter Specialist Group
Small wild cats in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India
August 2016- Small Wild Cat Conservation News Issue 2
International conservationists develop a Conservation Strategy for the Fishing Cat
25 May 2016 – International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada
International conservationists develop a Conservation Strategy for the Fishing Cat – International Society for Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada
In November 2015, the First International Fishing Cat Conservation Symposium was held in Nepal, hosted in association with the NGOs Himalayan Nature and Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation. Participants included representatives from Fishing Cat range countries like Nepal, India, … Continued
Rare Fishing Cats caught on camera in Cambodia for the first time in 10 years
11 September 2015 – Earth Touch News
Protecting Fishing Cats’ habitat is Vital
9 September 2015 – Khmer Times
Endangered Fishing Cat spotted for the first time in a decade
5 September 2015 – Cambodia Daily
Fishing Cat spotted for first time since 2003
4 September 2015 – Phnom Penh Post
Endangered fishing cats discovered in Cambodia after over decade in absence
4 September 2015- Khmer Times
Found! Fishing Cat in coastal Cambodia
3 September 2015- FFI
Endangered fishing cat thought extinct in Cambodia caught on camera
3 September 2015 – Mongabay
NB: While it is the case that Fishing Cats had not previously been recorded in the wild in Cambodia since 2003, they were never presumed extinct in the country.
Fishing Cat found in Cambodia after decade-long absence
3 September 2015 – UPI News
How to find a Fishing Cat in Cambodia
26 August 2015 – Fauna and Flora International