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Giant catfish population dropping amid changing eco system

Thai News Agency (TNA) 24 June 2008
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=4896

Some fishermen have stopped hunting giant catfish in the Mekong River
to help save them from extinction, as a changing ecosystem already
poses a threat to the fish and their habitat. A giant catfish farm in
Thailand breeds the rare species in the name of conservation. We have
more details in this report.

The scene of giant catfish being caught in the Mekong River is now a
rare one, as the catfish population has dropped and some fishermen
have stopped hunting them, joining the conservation trend to protect
the big freshwater fish.

Boonrien Chinarat is a founding member of the giant catfish club and
the Headman of Had Krai Village in the northern province of Chiang
Rai. He used to fish for giant catfish but stopped 10 years ago.

He said “People outside of the village did not understand our way of
life. They think we harm the fish. Nowadays, most of the giant catfish
hunters have stopped due to the reduction of the fish population.”

Boonrien said the main reason for the reduction in giant catfish
numbers was the change in eco systems, caused by rapids blasting and
clearing of water channels, the habitat of the fish. The spots where
the fish lay eggs are gone. Another reason is the practice of fishing
by electric shock and dynamite.

In Chiang Rai’s Wiengchai district is a giant catfish farm called
“Wang Pla Beuk”. It is owned by a retired fisheries officer, who set
up the farm to help build up the stocks of giant Catfish. In 1983, he
became the first person in the world to successfully breed giant
catfish.

“We have cooperation from the fishery department to breed giant
catfish for conservation.”

This farm has been producing over 100,000 fish a year. It has also
been helping the Had Krai villagers raise their own fish.

Many markets in Chiang Rai province sell the farmed giant catfish. At
Chiang Saen market, this seller says she’s been selling the fish for
five years at a cost of 170 baht per kilogramme. The farmed fish is
famous although some customers says wild giant catfish, which are
harder to find and more expensive, are tastier.

 
 

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