Mekong giant catfish

Deutsche Welle

<p>Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish — one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world — have been caught and released in Cambodia. Scientists estimate only a few hundred fish remaining.</p><p>Conservationists are celebrating the discovery and release back into nature of six highly endangered Mekong giant catfish in Cambodia.</p><p>The bumper catch in the Mekong River Basin has boosted hopes of a revival of the critically endangered species, which is among the world&#x27;s largest freshwater fish.</p><p>Fishermen released the fish alongside officials from Cambodia&#x27;s Fisheries Administration (CFA), smiling as they held up the animals — weighing up to 130 kilograms (287 pounds) each.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2024/11/30/coast-guard-intercepts-banca-transporting-poached-animals-in-davao-oriental-1116">RELATED: Coast Guard intercepts banca transporting poached animals in Davao Oriental</a></div><div><strong>What the giant haul means</strong></div><p>The USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong conservation group said the capture of so many giant catfish over just five days was &quot;a remarkable and unprecedented event.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;ve never heard of this before,&quot; said research biologist and project lead Zeb Hogan, from the University of Nevada Reno.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a hopeful sign that the species is not in imminent, like in the next few years, risk of extinction, which gives conservation activities time to be implemented and to continue to bend the curve away from decline and toward recovery.&quot;</p><p>&quot;By tagging these fish, we gain critical information about their ecology, their migrations, their habitat...to try to help these fish survive in the future,&quot; Hogan said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/12/3-mekong-giant-catfish-tagged-in-cambodia-1611">RELATED: Three Mekong giant catfish tagged in Cambodia</a></div><div><strong>How bad is the plight of the giant Mekong catfish?</strong></div><p>According to the IUCN Red List, the current population of the giant Mekong catfish is unknown but it is thought to have declined by around 80% in the past 13 years.</p><p>They now are only found in some stretches of the Mekong River and its tributaries, but in the past inhabited the length of the 4,900-kilometer (3,044 mile)-long river — from its outlet in Vietnam to its higher reaches in the Chinese province of Yunnan.</p><p>The Mekong, a critical Southeast Asian waterway has long been plagued by illegal fishing, habitat loss and plastic waste.</p><p>In addition, the Mekong River Basin become a tougher habitat to survive in because of dams, including so-called mega-dams, and climate change. These have had a devastating impact on water levels and upstream connectivity in the dangerously rare catfish&#x27;s aquatic habitat.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jVyAnfIs-tY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>According to the IUCN Red List, the current population of the giant Mekong catfish is unknown but it is thought to have declined by around 80% in the past 13 years.</p>

According to the IUCN Red List, the current population of the giant Mekong catfish is unknown but it is thought to have declined by around 80% in the past 13 years.

Cambodia: Fishermen find six rare Mekong giant catfish | ABS-CBN

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

World

Cambodia: Fishermen find six rare Mekong giant catfish

Cambodia: Fishermen find six rare Mekong giant catfish

Deutsche Welle

Published Dec 14, 2024 08:37 AM PHT

Read More:

Cambodia

Mekong River

Mekong Giant Catfish

Endangered Species

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.