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Authors of report on dolphins will not face charges, official says

The Phnom Penh Post. Thursday, 16 July 2009   by SAM RITH
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009071627184/National-news/ authors-of-report-on-dolphins-will-not-face-charges-official-says.html

Chief of Cambodia's Commision to Conserve Mekong River Dolphins had
earlier said group could be charged for report that was 'all lies'.

A GOVERNMENT official said Wednesday he had decided to forgive the
conservation group WWF for publishing what he has described as a false
report on the Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin population, backing off
earlier threats to pursue false-information charges but adding that
future reports would require advanced discussion before publication.

Touch Seang Tana, chairman of Cambodia's Commission to Conserve Mekong
River Dolphins and Develop Eco-Tourism, said Wednesday that he reached
his decision after consulting with Nao Thouk, director of the
Fisheries Administration at the Ministry of Agriculture.

The report, released last month, said that environmental contaminants
in the Mekong River had contributed to the deaths of 88 Irrawaddy
dolphins since 2003, some 60 percent of which had been calves under
two weeks old that succumbed to a bacterial disease.

Touch Seang Tana immediately lashed out at the report, calling it "all
lies" and suggesting that WWF was reluctant to discuss its findings
with officials.

He said Wednesday that documents sent last week to his office by WWF
did not sufficiently explain the findings in the report, which he said
his office had "rejected".

Nevertheless, he said he would not go forward with false-information
charges, nor would he make any attempt to prevent WWF from continuing
its work in Cambodia.

"I will make an effort to coordinate to have WWF to continue working
in Cambodia," he said. "But in the future we will not allow them to
publicise reports without prior discussion with us."

WWF voices relief
WWF Country Director Teak Seng said Wednesday that the government's
decision was a good one, adding that it could ultimately help efforts
to conserve the dolphins.

"This is a positive response," he said. "It is a good sign in working
together to conserve dolphins."

 
 

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