Cambodia targets online wildlife trade on social media, but experts say it’s not enough

Cambodia's environment ministry has taken a stand against online wildlife trade, urging the public and social media influencers to cease creating or sharing content that promotes the trade, consumption, or capture of wildlife. The ministry has stressed that such actions are both illegal and detrimental to human health, as well as to Cambodia's diverse wildlife population.

During a press conference on August 7, 2026, the ministry spokesperson, Khvay Atitya, called upon social media users to refrain from posting wildlife content for the purpose of generating clicks or promoting the trade, including sharing images and videos of dishes made from wildlife and rare plants. Atitya emphasized that promoting respect for wildlife does not entail confining wild animals in cages, and consumption of wildlife meat offers no benefits and poses significant health risks to consumers.

The ministry urged other relevant ministries and authorities to pursue legal action against those engaged in online wildlife commerce, asserting that online sales carry the same legal consequences as physical trading, according to the Phnom Penh Post. Russell Gray, the head of ECO-SOLVE at the Swiss-based Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), who specializes in the study of the online illegal wildlife trade, commended this move.

Gray noted that one persistent issue in the online illegal wildlife trade is the tendency to view it as distinct from the physical wildlife trade, when in reality the two are becoming increasingly intertwined. Gray explained that social media platforms, messaging applications, and online marketplaces have become the primary channels for advertising wildlife, facilitating connections between buyers and sellers, and enabling the trafficking of these species.