Cross-border cooperation crucial to conserve wildlife

A heavy mist hung over the Mekong River as the first arrest under Thailand’s new Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act took place at Cham Pong Pier, the entry point for the Cham Pong morning market. This market, located in Wiang Kaen district, Chiang Rai province, hosts vendors from both Thailand and Laos on Wednesday mornings.

The suspect: a Laotian citizen who had allegedly brought an illegally poached porcupine across the river to sell as bush-meat.

The maximum sentence under the new law: a harsh 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to a million baht (about US$33,000).

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