HANOI, Vietnam (AP) 鈥� Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish 鈥� one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world 鈥� were caught and released recently in Cambodia, reviving hopes for the survival of the species.
The underwater giants can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh up to 300 kilograms (661 pounds), or as heavy as a grand piano. They now are only found in Southeast Asia's Mekong River but in the past inhabited the length of the 4,900-kilometer (3,044 mile)-long river, all the way from its to its northern reaches in China's Yunnan province.
The species' population has plummeted by 80% in recent decades due to rising pressures from overfishing, dams that block the migratory path the fish follow to spawn and other .
Few of the millions of people who depend on the Mekong for their livelihoods have ever seen a giant catfish. To find six of the giants, which were caught and released within 5 days, is unprecedented.
The first two were on the Tonle Sap river, a tributary of the Mekong not far from Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. They were given identification tags and released. On Tuesday, fishermen caught four more giant catfish including two longer than 2 meters (6.5 feet) that weighed 120 kilograms and 131 kilograms (264 pounds and 288 pounds), respectively. The captured fish were apparently migrating from their floodplain habitats near Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake northward along the Mekong River, likely to spawning grounds in northern Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.
"It鈥檚 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,鈥� said Dr. Zeb Hogan, a University of Nevada Reno research biologist who leads the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Wonders of the Mekong project.
Much is still unknown about the giant fish, but over the past two decades a joint conservation program by the Wonders of the Mekong and the Cambodian Fisheries Administration has caught, tagged and released around 100 of them, gaining insights into how the catfish migrate, where they live and the health of the species.
鈥淭his information is used to establish migration corridors and protect habitats to try to help these fish survive in the future,鈥� said Hogan.
The Mekong giant catfish is woven into the region鈥檚 cultural fabric, depicted in 3,000-year-old cave paintings, revered in folklore and considered a symbol of the river, whose fisheries feed millions and are valued at $10 billion annually.
Local communities play a crucial role in conservation. Fishermen now know about the importance of reporting accidental catches of rare and endangered species to officials, enabling researchers to reach places where fish have been captured and measure and tag them before releasing them.
"Their cooperation is essential for our research and conservation efforts,鈥� Heng Kong, director of Cambodia鈥檚 Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, said in a statement.
Apart from the Mekong giant catfish, the river is also home to other large fish including the , which was thought to be extinct until it was spotted earlier this year, and the .
That four of these fish were caught and tagged in a single day is likely the 鈥渂ig fish story of the century for the Mekong鈥�, said Brian Eyler, director of the Washington-based Stimson Center鈥檚 Southeast Asia Program. He said that seeing them confirms that the annual fish migration was still robust despite all the pressures facing the environment along the Mekong.
鈥淗opefully what happened this week will show the Mekong countries and the world that the Mekong鈥檚 mighty fish population is uniquely special and needs to be conserved,鈥� he said.
___
The Associated Press鈥� climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP鈥檚 for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Aniruddha Ghosal, The Associated Press
