(Photo: Jean-Francois Helias)
Thursday 12 August 2010Dr Heok Hee Ng
Practical Fishkeeping (UK)
Proposed dams in the lower Mekong River in the Indochinese peninsula will doom the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) to extinction, according to the report “River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong” recently released by the World Wildlife Fund.
There are 11 dams proposed in the Mekong River south of China (eight in Laos and three in Cambodia), and the construction of any one of these dams will prevent the catfish from migrating upriver (from the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia to northern Thailand and Laos) to spawn.
The catfish, reaching sizes of up to 3m and weights of up to 350 kg, cannot swim across dams because of their sheer bulk, making fish ladders (the traditional solution in allowing migratory fish to pass through artificial barriers such as dams) useless in alleviating this problem.
Populations of the giant Mekong catfish have already plummeted by 90% over two decades, and the dams might prove to be the last straw.
The dams not only spell doom for the Mekong giant catfish, as the Mekong River is also home to four of the world's 10 largest freshwater fish species.
The other three species, also highlighted in the report, are the giant freshwater stingray (Himantura chaophraya) pictured above, the giant dog-eating catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei), and the giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis).
According to Dang Thuy Trang, Mekong River Ecoregion Coordinator for the WWF Greater Mekong Programme, "More giant fish live in the Mekong than any other river on Earth… Currently, the Lower Mekong remains free-flowing, which presents a rare opportunity for the conservation of these species. But the clock is ticking."
According to the report, even more is at stake than the fates of the giant fishes of the Mekong River. Construction of the dams are also likely to exacerbate the impacts of climate change on the Mekong River Delta, one of the world’s most fertile regions for agriculture (particularly rice) and one of its most productive for both capture and culture fisheries.
The dams are likely to withhold sediment flowing downstream, reducing the ability of the delta to replenish itself, and rendering it more vulnerable to climate change effects such as increased erosion, saltwater intrusion from sea-level rises, and more intense tropical storms.
This would eventually lead to the displacement of millions of people and the loss of millions' of dollars worth of agricultural land.
Some of these fishes can be seen in a new TV series featuring giant fish.
For more information, see the report: River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong.
There are 11 dams proposed in the Mekong River south of China (eight in Laos and three in Cambodia), and the construction of any one of these dams will prevent the catfish from migrating upriver (from the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia to northern Thailand and Laos) to spawn.
The catfish, reaching sizes of up to 3m and weights of up to 350 kg, cannot swim across dams because of their sheer bulk, making fish ladders (the traditional solution in allowing migratory fish to pass through artificial barriers such as dams) useless in alleviating this problem.
Populations of the giant Mekong catfish have already plummeted by 90% over two decades, and the dams might prove to be the last straw.
The dams not only spell doom for the Mekong giant catfish, as the Mekong River is also home to four of the world's 10 largest freshwater fish species.
The other three species, also highlighted in the report, are the giant freshwater stingray (Himantura chaophraya) pictured above, the giant dog-eating catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei), and the giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis).
According to Dang Thuy Trang, Mekong River Ecoregion Coordinator for the WWF Greater Mekong Programme, "More giant fish live in the Mekong than any other river on Earth… Currently, the Lower Mekong remains free-flowing, which presents a rare opportunity for the conservation of these species. But the clock is ticking."
According to the report, even more is at stake than the fates of the giant fishes of the Mekong River. Construction of the dams are also likely to exacerbate the impacts of climate change on the Mekong River Delta, one of the world’s most fertile regions for agriculture (particularly rice) and one of its most productive for both capture and culture fisheries.
The dams are likely to withhold sediment flowing downstream, reducing the ability of the delta to replenish itself, and rendering it more vulnerable to climate change effects such as increased erosion, saltwater intrusion from sea-level rises, and more intense tropical storms.
This would eventually lead to the displacement of millions of people and the loss of millions' of dollars worth of agricultural land.
Some of these fishes can be seen in a new TV series featuring giant fish.
For more information, see the report: River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong.
14 comments:
good, this way, the khmer giant catfish can stay in cambodia instead of migrate upstream. they'll eventually find another spawning place in camobida up some river tributary somewhere as they are thousands of rivers in cambodia alone.
the earth is a magical, wonderful place; it heals itself; don't be so worried, ok! cambodia can use more electricity, really!
and more electricity in the sky to neil ah Kwack and tugs
in khmer we called this fish "trey raj". i used to hear in the old days in cambodia, some fisherman described this fish as the size of a car. now we can see the real picture. wow! cambodia is so rich in aquatic lives, etc... i love my country cambodia.
Those are KHMER EMPIRE catfishes!
That fish is good for somlor machou vietnam.
It should call Somlor Machou Youn instead of VietCong. Don't be afriad to call that fool.
Jackass,when dealing with name calling especially with Vietnam,i have to think twice.It's easy for you to say but it's not for me,cuz i live in srok khmer .Got it moron ?.
I thought Camboidian is our Country not Ah DIAPERS Country, If Cambodian is our Country why can we said what ever we want? Fuck all ah DIAPERS thieves mother fuckers tell them to return Kampuchea Krom back to us.
OK! I help you release your tention!
Ah Kwak HUn Xen let ah Youn Choymaray fuck his brain!!!!!
OK! may the fucking evils joint ah Youn Hok landy soon!!!
Those animals have no room to breath, so it went to away for good. Somehow, our country is too small for it to habitat.
Please sign the petition that was initiated by "Khmer Anti Poverty Party" to condem China for the Mekong Dam. This petition will go to Mrs Hilary Clinton to raise the complaint to China.
Please go to web site "www.khmerantipoverty.com" and click the petion.
Please sign the petition to condem China for this 11 dams. Go to
"www.gopettion.com/petition37999". We are going to send this petition to Mrs Clinton at the end of this month. Per Mrs Hilary Clinton, she is willing to raise this big issue to China.
Khmer Anti Poverty Party.
I wouldn't doubt that this catfish feasted on dead corpse that are thrown into the river. That's what catfish loves to eat-dead,rotten meat.
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