Bangkok: A report released by conservation groups on Monday highlights the alarming plight of the Mekong River, revealing that one-fifth of its fish species, crucial to Southeast Asia’s biodiversity, are on the brink of extinction due to unsustainable development practices.
The Mekong, spanning nearly 5,000 km (3,000 miles) from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, serves as a vital source of sustenance for millions of people across China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, supporting both farming and fishing communities.
The report, compiled by the World Wildlife Fund and 25 global marine and wildlife conservation organizations, underscores various threats facing the river’s fish populations. These threats include habitat loss, wetland conversion for agriculture and aquaculture, unsustainable sand mining, introduction of invasive species, exacerbating climate change effects, and the proliferation of hydropower dams, which disrupt the natural flow of the river and its tributaries.
“The biggest threat right now, and a threat that’s still potentially gaining momentum, is hydropower development.” – Zeb Hogan
Speaking on the issue, fish biologist Zeb Hogan, head of the Wonders of the Mekong group involved in the report, emphasized the detrimental impact of hydropower development. He pointed out that dams significantly alter the river’s flow, water quality, and obstruct fish migration routes, ultimately endangering numerous species.
Furthermore, the report draws attention to the consequences of Chinese-built hydroelectric dams upstream, which have intercepted vital sediment flows necessary for the agricultural productivity of tens of thousands of farms in the Mekong River Delta, as previously reported by Reuters in 2022.
According to the conservationists’ findings in the report titled “The Mekong’s Forgotten Fishes,” approximately 19% of the Mekong’s fish species, totaling over 1,148, are teetering on the brink of extinction. The actual number could be higher, as insufficient data exists for 38% of the species to determine their conservation status accurately.
Among the endangered species are 18 listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, including two of the world’s largest catfish, the largest carp species, and the giant freshwater stingray. Hogan emphasized the significance of these species, noting that some of the planet’s largest and rarest fish inhabit the Mekong River.
The depletion of fish stocks in the Mekong, which contributes over 15% of the world’s inland catch and generates more than $11 billion annually, poses a severe threat to food security for over 40 million people living in the Lower Mekong basin, whose livelihoods depend on the river’s resources.
Despite the grim outlook, Hogan remains optimistic, stating that there is still time for countries in the delta to collaborate and mitigate the adverse impacts on fish populations. He stressed the importance of collective action in developing the river sustainably, underscoring that hope remains if proactive measures are taken.
