{"id":20129465,"date":"2024-04-04T17:30:14","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?p=129465"},"modified":"2024-04-11T11:22:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T11:22:53","slug":"mekongs-giant-fish-threatened-by-dams-and-wetland-conversions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/nature\/mekongs-giant-fish-threatened-by-dams-and-wetland-conversions\/","title":{"rendered":"Mekong\u2019s giant fish threatened by dams and wetland conversions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Etched in the ancient temples of Angkor, the giant barb is the largest carp species in the world and Cambodia\u2019s national fish. Despite its revered status<\/a>, however, it is among an estimated 19% of Mekong River fish species facing extinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The giant barb may disappear along with other species unique to the Mekong unless decision-makers stop undervaluing and overlooking the Mekong\u2019s fishes, according to the Mekong\u2019s Forgotten Fishes<\/a> report, which was produced by a cohort of 25 conservation groups. It warns that the loss of biodiversity will significantly affect the region\u2019s culture, livelihoods and economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The magic of the Mekong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Mekong is home to nearly 1,500 fish species, a quarter of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Originating in China, the river flows through six countries before reaching the South China Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a biodiversity hotspot of the world for freshwater fish [and] only third in the world in terms of diversity of fish,\u201d says Kathy Hughes, the report author and Asia Pacific freshwater biodiversity lead for the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), one of the organisations behind the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
The Mekong giant barb (Siamese Carp Catlocarpio Siamensis Black) is one of 19% of fish at risk of extinction in the Mekong (Image: Ashley Swanson \/ Alamy)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

While 19% of Mekong fish at risk is below the global average of 25%, Hughes warns that insufficient data on a further 38% of species suggests many more could also be in danger. Currently, 74 species have already been identified as \u201cat risk of extinction\u201d and 18 species listed as \u201ccritically endangered\u201d in the International Union for Conservation of Nature\u2019s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c38% is really significant because it\u2019s triple the global average of data deficiency,\u201d says Hughes. Data deficient animal species have been classed by the IUCN as having inadequate information available for a conservation status to be determined. \u201cThat\u2019s a real alarm bell to me that, actually, it\u2019s not just the 19% we need to worry about, it\u2019s 38%.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threatened giants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Covered in dark scales and with a characteristically prominent pout, the imposing giant barb can grow<\/a> to three metres in length and weigh up to 300kg. Yet sightings have become increasingly rare, indicating a critical decline in numbers. Chea Seila, project manager and coordinator for the Wonders of the Mekong project, which funded the report, laments this development: \u201cThey don\u2019t have enough time to grow up,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the giant barb, the Mekong is home to other underwater behemoths like the giant stingray<\/a>, the Mekong giant catfish<\/a> and the giant pangasius<\/a>, all of which are critically endangered. \u201cThe river is so rich it evolved these massive giants that you don\u2019t get everywhere else,\u201d Hughes says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This biological richness is under increasing threat from a variety of factors including the construction of hydropower dams, conversion of wetlands for agriculture and aquaculture, sand mining, the presence of invasive species and climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You cannot put a price on the biodiversity, the ecosystem functioning, the fishery or the heritage aspect that could be lost<\/blockquote>Kathy Hughes, author of Mekong\u2019s Forgotten Fishes report<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dams, in particular, pose a significant threat to the fish, as 160 migrating species<\/a> depend on the river\u2019s ability to flow freely. \u201cWhen we put a dam on a river, it literally chops that river in half,\u201d explains Hughes. \u201cIt holds sediment back behind the dam, it holds the water back, and it also holds nutrients [back].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the mining of between 35 and 55 million cubic metres of sand on the Mekong each year compounds these challenges, disrupting fish migration patterns vital for reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When there are changes to the Mekong ecosystem, sediment and water levels, \u201cfish are confused as to when they have to migrate upstream or downstream,\u201d explains Teerapong Pomun, director of the Mekong Community Institute Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The implications of inaction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Without immediate action, the integrity and resilience of the entire ecosystem are at stake, warns Hughes: \u201cYou cannot put a price on the biodiversity, the ecosystem functioning, the fishery or the heritage aspect that could be lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mekong is also home to the world\u2019s largest inland fishery, accounting for 15% of the entire global inland catch and which generated over US$11 billion <\/a>annually in 2015. Over 40 million people in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam depend on the river for income and sustenance; inaction would lead to catastrophic consequences for local communities. \u201cThis is a fishery that can\u2019t be replaced,\u201d says Hughes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many communities along the Mekong rely on wild-caught fish as their main source of protein. Mitigating a 50% fall in the Mekong\u2019s wild capture fishery would require a substantial increase in alternative protein sources, with outsized environmental implications. One potential outcome cited could result in a 130% surge in beef production, leading to a 231% increase in land conversion for agricultural use. Moreover, the report forecasts an 8% increase in regional water demand and an additional 45 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not too late\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe good news is that it\u2019s not too late to restore the Mekong and bring its fishes back from the brink,\u201d said Zeb Hogan, biologist and director of the Wonders of the Mekong project, at the release of Mekong\u2019s Forgotten Fisheries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crucial to this is building on the expertise, knowledge and solutions of local communities. Communities in Laos and Thailand have created several fish conservation zones, areas where fishing is banned and where locals run community patrols to deter illegal fishing. In Cambodia and Vietnam, it is illegal<\/a> to fish the giant barb, but with the rare species still in demand by Vietnamese restaurants, the temptation remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Researchers releasing fish back into the Mekong (Image: FISHBIO)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In Cambodia, efforts are underway to release<\/a> captive-raised fish, including giant barbs, back into Tonle Sap Lake. The government has also signed up to the international Freshwater Challenge<\/a>, which aims to restore 300,000km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands globally by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, not enough is being done in scale with the size of the problem, says Pomun. He is calling for enhanced regional cooperation to restore the ecosystem, emphasising the need to work with local authorities and communities to implement effective solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The signing of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a> by Mekong countries in 2022, committing them to protecting and restoring 30% of inland waters, marks a promising milestone. However, the report urges the signatories to go further by implementing a transboundary emergency recovery plan for freshwater biodiversity. This plan would prioritise ensuring the natural flow of rivers, improving water quality and ending unsustainable resource exploitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until such measures are implemented, however, the giant barb and other fish species remain perilously close to extinction \u2013 their once significant role potentially reduced to mythical status. According to Hughes:  \u201cReversing decades of decline will be hard, but it\u2019s possible, if we act collectively and urgently.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The large fish of the Mekong, some of which are revered in local cultures, face dire consequences without urgent action<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4102,"featured_media":20129478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[764],"tags":[511,554,608],"hashtags":[],"country":[20029278,20028095,20000117,20029326,20028207],"class_list":["post-20129465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","tag-biodiversity","tag-hydropower","tag-wetlands","country-cambodia","country-laos","country-myanmar","country-thailand","country-vietnam"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMekong\u2019s giant fish threatened by dams and wetland conversions | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The large fish of the Mekong, some of which are revered in local cultures, face dire consequences without urgent action\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/nature\/mekongs-giant-fish-threatened-by-dams-and-wetland-conversions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mekong\u2019s giant fish threatened by dams and wetland conversions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The large fish of the Mekong, some of which are revered in local cultures, face dire consequences without urgent action\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/nature\/mekongs-giant-fish-threatened-by-dams-and-wetland-conversions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dialogue Earth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-04T12:00:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-11T11:22:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/A-giant-freshwater-stingray-founded-in-Mekong-River_Chhut-Chheana_Alamy_2JDH6Y3-1200px-copy.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rebecca L. 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The world's largest freshwater fish, a 661-pound (300-kilogram) giant stingray, has been found near a remote island in the Mekong River in northeast Cambodia's Stung Treng province, according to a Wonders of the Mekong's press statement released late on Monday. 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