The Mekong

Catfish

The disappearance of the giant Mekong catfish (Pla Beuk ปลาบึก) is a sign of the decline of the river. The giant catfish needs long stretches of the river to migrate and also needs specific water quality to move through its life cycles of eating, breeding and spawning.

The giant Mekong catfish has been listed as Endangered because there are indications that populations of the fish have declined over the years. Not that long ago, the giant Mekong catfish was found all throughout the Mekong River and fishermen harvested hundreds, even thousands, of them per year. Recently, the catch has fallen to five or ten fish per year and the species has disappeared from almost all areas where it once roamed.

Giant Mekong River Catfish

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