Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities are jointly investigating the killing of a fisheries department official off the coast of Kampot province Wednesday.

Phat Sareoun, 43, a Kampot province fisheries officer for the Ministry of Agriculture, was shot dead Wednesday night, after he and six other fisheries officials confronted a Vietnamese fishing trawler in Cambodian waters, officials said.

Sar Sarin, chief of the Kampot fisheries administration, said Friday authorities from both countries were working closely together to find the perpetrators.

Teams from both countries are searching for evidence and investigating on both sides of the border, he said.

Vietnam Embassy spokesman Trinh Ba Cam said Friday the embassy had not received an official complaint from the Cambodian side, but Vietnamese officials were aiding in the investigation.

He dismissed initial reports that the shooting could have been done by the Vietnamese navy.