Six rare Mekong giant catfish found in Cambodia, raising hopes for endangered species

Six endangered Mekong giant catfish were found in Cambodia and were later released with hopes for the survival of the species. They are one of the largest and rarest freshwater in the world.

The giants can grow up to three metres long and can weigh up to 300 kg. The Mekong fish are found only in southeast Asia’s Mekong River. But over time, they have inhabited the entire river which is 4,900km long. The river starts in Vietnam and ends in China’s Yunnan province.

The population of giant catfish has dropped by around 80 per cent in recent decades due to overfishing. The construction of dams blocking the path for the fish to migrate has also played a role in their population decrease.

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The six giant fish were found in five days. The first two were on the Tonle Sap River, which is near the capital city of Phnom Penh. On Tuesday (Dec 10), four more giants were found by fishermen which were later released after identification. Notably, two of the fish were longer than two meters.

“It’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,” Dr Zeb Hogan, a University of Nevada Reno research biologist who leads the US Agency for International Development-funded Wonders of the Mekong project, told BBC.

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The Cambodian Fisheries Administration has tagged and released more than 100 of the fish and has gained details about how they migrate.

“This information is used to establish migration corridors and protect habitats to try to help these fish survive in the future,” Hogan further added.

(With inputs from agencies)