“The Mekong ecosystem is the most productive river on Earth, producing over two million tons of fish per year worth over $10 billion.”
While the documentation of the huge fish is exciting, the giant salmon carp is still critically endangered. Fewer than 30 specimens have been recorded since the species was officially identified in 1991.
The Mekong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia. It flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It’s also home to more than 1,100 species of fish.
It is being threatened by overfishing, climate change, sand mining, industrial pollution, and the construction of hydropower dams.
All the human activity has put the giant salmon carp, along with other migratory species that make up the ecosystem, at risk.
More than 700 dams have been built along the Mekong River and its tributaries. There is little room for the fish to pass through during migration.
With the help of local communities in Laos and Thailand, the researchers hope to be able to determine whether the giant salmon carp still swims in other parts of the river.
The study was published in Biological Conservation.