Rare giant fish driven to extinction by dams
28 July 2010
Wild populations of the iconic Mekong giant catfish will be driven to extinction if hydropower dams planned for the Mekong River go ahead, according to a new report by WWF.
The report, River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong, profiles four giant fish living in the Mekong that rank within the top 10 largest freshwater fish on the planet. At half the length of a bus and weighing up to 600kgs, the Mekong River’s Giant freshwater stingray is one of the world’s largest freshwater fish. The critically endangered and culturally fabled Mekong giant catfish ranks third at up to 3 metres in length and 350kgs.
The Global Top 10 Giant Freshwater Fish
-Giant freshwater stingray
-Chinese paddlefish
-Mekong giant catfish
-Wels catfish
-Giant pangasius (dog eating catfish)
-Giant barb
-Arapaima (pirarucu; paiche)
-Piraiba (laulau; lechero)
-Nile perch
-Alligator gar
The hydropower dam planned on the Mekong River at Sayabouly Province, northern Laos, is a threat to the survival of the wild population of Mekong giant catfish. The Sayabouly dam is the first lower Mekong River mainstream dam to enter a critical stage of assessment before member countries of the Mekong River Commission advise on whether to approve its construction.
To meet immediate energy demands, WWF promotes sustainable hydropower projects on tributaries of the Mekong River, prioritising those that already have hydropower dams developed on them.
“More giant fish live in the Mekong than any other river on Earth,” said Mark Wright Conservation Science Advisor at WWF-UK. “A fish the size of a Mekong giant catfish, simply will not be able to swim across a large barrier like a dam to reach its spawning grounds upstream. Any dam built on the lower Mekong River mainstream will block migration routes and lead to the collapse of the wild population of this extraordinary species.”
The impacts of lower Mekong River mainstream dams are not restricted to these Mekong giants, they would also exacerbate the impacts of climate change on the Mekong River Delta, one of the world’s most productive regions for fisheries and agriculture.
WWF supports a delay in the approval of the mainstream dams, including the Sayabouly dam, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of all the positive and negative impacts of their construction and operation.
Contact information:
Kellie Hulbert, Press Officer at WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412383
Email: khulbert@wwf.org.uk
About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
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Notes to the Editor
For information/images and footage please follow link below:
• The River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong report can be downloaded at: http://www.divshare.com/download/11896000-5ba
• High-resolution photos of these Mekong giants can be downloaded at:
http://www.divshare.com/gallery/717190-62a
Please note caption information is saved as the file name. All credits to WWF.
• High-quality footage of the Mekong River and Mekong giant catfish can be downloaded at http://www.divshare.com/folder/720842-fb0
