HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Six endangered Mekong giant catfish, one of the world’s largest and rarest freshwater fish, were recently caught and released in Cambodia, renewing hopes for the species’ survival.
Underwater giants can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh 300 kilograms (661 pounds), or the size of a grand piano. Now found only in the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, they once ranged along the entire length of this 4,900-kilometer (3,044-mile) river. Vietnam outlet To the northern tip of China’s Yunnan province.
The species’ population has plummeted by 80% in recent decades due to increased pressure from overfishing and dams that cut off the migratory routes fish take to spawn. confusion.
Few of the millions of people who depend on the Mekong River for a living have ever seen a giant catfish. Finding six of the captured and released giants within five days is unprecedented.
The first two were located along the Tonle Sap River, a tributary of the Mekong River, not far from Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. They were given identification tags and released. On Tuesday, fishermen caught four more giant catfish, two of which were over 2 meters (6.5 feet) long and weighed 120 kilograms and 131 kilograms, respectively. The captured fish had apparently migrated north along the Mekong River from its floodplain habitat near Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake, possibly heading for spawning grounds in northern Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand.
“This is a hopeful sign that this species is not in imminent danger of extinction within the next few years, and that conservation efforts will continue to bend the curve from decline to recovery.” “It gives us time,” the doctor said. Zev Hogan is a research biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno who leads the Mekong River Wonders Project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Much remains unknown about these giant fish, but over the past 20 years, a joint conservation program between Wonders of Mekong and the Cambodian Fisheries Department has captured, tagged, and released around 100 giant fish. , provided insight into how catfish migrate and where they migrate. their lives and the health of the species.
“This information will be used to establish migration routes and protect habitat for the future survival of these fish,” Hogan said.
The Mekong River Giant Catfish is woven into the cultural fabric of the region, depicted in 3,000-year-old cave paintings, revered in folklore, and considered a symbol of the Mekong River. The Mekong River’s fishing industry supports millions of people and is valued at $10 billion annually.
Local communities play an important role in conservation. Fishermen are now aware of the importance of reporting accidental catches of rare and endangered species to authorities so that researchers can reach the location where the fish were caught and measure the fish before releasing it. You can now add tags.
“Their cooperation is essential to our research and conservation efforts,” Heng Kong, director of the Cambodian Institute of Inland Fisheries Research and Development, said in a statement.
Apart from the Mekong giant catfish, this river is also home to other large fish including the Mekong giant catfish. salmon carpIt was thought to be extinct until it was discovered earlier this year. giant stingray.
Brian Eyler, director of the Southeast Asia program at the Washington-based Stimson Center, said the capture and tagging of four of these fish in one day marks “the great fish story of the century for the Mekong River.” He said it is likely. He said they were able to confirm that the annual fish migration remains active despite all the pressures facing the environment along the Mekong River.
“We hope that what happened this week shows the Mekong countries and the world that the Mekong River’s giant fish populations are unique, special and need to be protected,” he said.
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