Illicit Crocodile Farms Causing Price Collapse
An abundance of illegal crocodile smugglers operating without a license and exporting animals to Vietnam has led to the price of crocodiles dropping by more than half compared to the same period last year, breeders said yesterday. Loun Nam, president of the Crocodile Feeder Association, who owns 600 crocodiles in Siem Reap province, said that the price of crocodiles has dropped by 55 percent to $12 for a single baby crocodile compared to the same month last year. The drop was caused by an influx of illegal breeders and traders that have cropped up since the government announced plans last year to expand Cambodia’s crocodile industry by instructing provincial authorities to set up bureaus so that local crocodile breeders could apply for permits to transport their animals between provinces. … While there are hundreds of crocodile breeders across the country, only six farms are registered with the the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. …
