Animal welfare officials are investigating a Cornish man for planning to eat dolphin for his Christmas dinner. Arthur Boyt, 76 years old, spent years feasting on dead animals found in roads and beaches.
Dubbed the roadkill chef, the former marine biologist from Camelford, Cornwall, has been a roadkill scavenger since he was 13 years old. He has dined on animals like weasels, rabbits, squirrels, otters and hedgehogs.
This Christmas, however, Boyt plans to eat something extraordinary. He announced that a stranded dolphin washed ashore will be casseroled for dinner. Meanwhile, marine protection officers initiated a probe into the incident since eating a protected animal might count as an offense.
Eating dolphin meat is not only a crime in the United Kingdom, it can also cause serious health effects.
"Whales and dolphins are not public property - they belong to the Crown. If they do get washed up they should be removed by local authority," Danny Groves, a spokesman for the Whales and Dolphin Conservation said.
He added that a washed-up dolphin could have died from disease and Boyd might put his health at risk by eating the animal meat.
Boyt collects the remains of dead animals, cooks them immediately or freezes them for later use. Last Christmas, he feasted on a badger and decided to do something for a change this year.
"The great thing about roadkill is knowing that the animal hasn't been purposely killed," he said. "I feel very strongly about killing animals, so strongly, I can only just about manage a chicken leg at a party or something. I would never buy meat."
He will be spending Christmas with his wife and mother-in-law. However, he reiterated that his wife is a vegetarian and that he is the only person in the house who eats roadkill meat.
Abby Crossby, a spokesperson for Marine Stranded Network Trust, said that removing stranded animals requires a license issued by the Marine Management Organization.
"In addition to dolphins, these are protected species and there are laws in place to prevent the public from interfering with them - whether they are dead or alive," she added.
