Mekong Giant Catfish - Conservation

Conservation

Endemic to the lower half of the Mekong river, this catfish is in danger of extinction due to overfishing, as well as the decrease in water quality due to development and upstream damming by the People's Republic of China. The current IUCN Red List for fishes classes the species as Critically Endangered; the number living in the wild is unknown, but catch data indicate the population has fallen by 80% in the last 14 years. It is also listed in Appendix I of CITES, banning international trade.

In The Anthropologists' Cookbook (1977), Jessica Kuper noted the importance of the pa beuk to the Lao people and remarked, "In times gone by, this huge fish, which is found only in the Mekong, was fairly plentiful; but in the last few years the number taken annually has dwindled to forty, thirty or twenty, and perhaps in 1976 even fewer. This is sad, as it is a noble fish and a mysterious one, revered by the Lao."

Fishing for the Mekong giant catfish is illegal in the wild in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, but the bans appear to be ineffective, with the fish continuing to be caught in all three countries.

However, in recognition of the threat to the species, nearly 60 Thai fishermen agreed to stop catching the endangered catfish in June 2006, to mark the 60th anniversary of Bhumibol Adulyadej's ascension to the throne of Thailand.

Thailand is the only country to allow fishing for private stocks of Mekong giant catfish. This helps save the species, as lakes purchase the small fry from the government breeding program, generating extra income that allows the breeding program to function.

Fishing lakes, such as Bung Sam Ran in Bangkok, have the species up to 140 kg;. The most common size landed is 18 kg, although some companies specialise in landing the larger fish.

The fish are not aggressive, but very powerful, as they evolved in the running waters of the Mekong River, where the current flow can be high at times.

The Mekong giant catfish can also be seen occasionally in the Chao Phraya River. When feeding fish at the Bangkok temples along the river, the fish will be seen at times. The largest spotted to date has been about 25 kg.

The species needs to reach 50 to 70 kg to breed, and unfortunately it does not breed in lakes.

The Thailand Fishery Department has instituted a breeding program to restock the Mekong River. However, it is yet to be seen if the fish will spawn.