As prices fall, rat hunting’s few charms fade
Just after sunrise in the slums surrounding the Stung Meanchey dump, Lak Han, 45, sits in the dirt outside his home methodically chopping up a large pile of rodents.
For many years, like hundreds of others at the dumpsite, Mr. Han made a paltry living collecting scraps of garbage until he turned to a more lucrative source of income—hunting rats.
At about 7 p.m. every evening, dozens of rat catchers make their way from the dumpsite into central Phnom Penh where, as residents are well aware, there is an abundance of large rodents for them to target. …
According to Stung Meanchey residents, the meat is trucked to Poipet City and then taken across the border to Thailand, where it is processed for human consumption. …
For all of the men at the Stung Meanchey waste site who have made rat catching their livelihood, their decision comes down to simple economics. Mr. Han said he could earn as much as $32.50 per day when he first started catching, at the height of the rat market. …
Mech Dara and Holly Robertson
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/as-prices-fall-rat-huntings-few-charms-fade-64042/
