Unsustainable development threatens the health and biodiversity of the Mekong River, says a report from conservation groups revealing that one-fifth of the fish species in Southeast Asia’s primary waterway are at risk of extinction.
The report compiled by the World Wildlife Fund and 25 global marine and wildlife conservation groups identifies various threats to the Mekong River’s fish.
These threats include habitat loss, wetland conversion for farming and aquaculture, unsustainable sand mining, invasive species introduction, exacerbated climate change, and the impact of hydropower dams, which disrupt the river’s flow and tributaries.
The Mekong, spanning almost 5,000 km from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, is a crucial source of farming and fishing livelihoods for millions across China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Fish biologist Zeb Hogan, who heads the Wonders of the Mekong, one of the groups behind the report, said, “The biggest threat right now, and a threat that’s still potentially gaining momentum, is hydropower development.”
“Some of the largest and rarest fish… anywhere on earth occur on the Mekong River,” Hogan added.
Also read: 20% of world’s migratory species in danger of extinction: UN report
According to the conservationists’ report titled “The Mekong’s Forgotten Fishes,” approximately 19% of the Mekong’s 1,148 or more fish species are at risk of extinction.
The report also highlights that the actual number may be higher because the conservation status of 38% of the species is not well understood.
