On this photograph offered by Wonders of the Mekong, taken on June 14, 2022, a person touches an enormous stream of recent water earlier than being launched again into the Mekong River within the northeastern province of Stung Treng, Cambodia. An area fisherman caught a sting of 661 kilos (300 kilograms), which set the file for the most important recognized freshwater fish on the earth and introduced him a reward of $ 600. (Chhut Chheana / Wonders of the Mekong by way of AP)
BANGKOK (AP) – The world’s largest freshwater fish, an enormous stingray, has been caught within the Mekong River in Cambodia, based on scientists within the nation of Southeast Asia and the USA.
The beam, caught on June 13, measured nearly 4 meters (13 toes) from snout to tail and weighed slightly below 300 kilograms (660 kilos), based on an announcement launched Monday by Wonders of the Mekong, a analysis undertaking widespread Cambodian-American.
The earlier file for a freshwater fish was an enormous Mekong catfish weighing 293 kilograms (646 kilos), found in Thailand in 2005, the group mentioned.
The hawk was caught by a neighborhood fisherman south of Stung Treng in northeastern Cambodia. The fisherman alerted a workforce of close by scientists to the Mekong Wonders undertaking, which publicized conservation work in communities alongside the river.
The scientists arrived a couple of hours after receiving a name after midnight with the information and had been amazed by what they noticed.
“Sure, if you see a fish of this dimension, particularly in freshwater, it is onerous to know, so I believe our complete workforce was amazed.” The wonders of the Mekong chief Zeb Hogan mentioned in a web based interview on the College of Nevada in Reno. The college is partnering with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and USAID, the US authorities’s worldwide improvement company.
Freshwater fish are outlined as those that spend their total lives in freshwater, versus large marine species comparable to bluefin tuna and marlin, or fish that migrate between freshwater and saltwater, comparable to the enormous beluga sturgeon.
The seize of the beam was not nearly setting a brand new file, he mentioned.
“The truth that fish can develop into so huge continues to be an indication of hope for the Mekong River.” Hogan mentioned the waterway is going through many environmental challenges.
The Mekong River flows by China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It’s residence to a number of species of large freshwater fish, however environmental pressures are on the rise. Specifically, scientists worry main dam development program lately might significantly disrupt breeding grounds.
“International fish are on the verge of extinction. They’re beneficial species. It takes a very long time to mature. So if they’re caught earlier than they mature, they don’t have any likelihood of breeding. “ mentioned Hogan. “Many of those giant fish are migratory, so that they want giant areas to outlive. They’re affected by issues like dam habitat fragmentation, which is clearly affected by overfishing. In consequence, about 70% of the world’s large freshwater fish are threatened with extinction and all Mekong species. “
The workforce that rushed to the scene launched a labeling system subsequent to the sturdy fish’s tail earlier than releasing it. The system will ship monitoring info for subsequent 12 months, offering unprecedented knowledge on the conduct of large rays in Cambodia.
“Large shrimp is a really misunderstood fish. Its identify, even its scientific identify, has modified a number of occasions within the final 20 years. mentioned Hogan. “It’s discovered throughout Southeast Asia, however we’ve nearly no details about it. We do not learn about his life story. We do not learn about its ecology, about its migration patterns. “
Researchers say it’s the fourth largest hen reported in the identical space in two months, all feminine. They imagine this can be a scorching spot for spawning for the species.
The locals nicknamed the sky “Boramy”, or “full moon,” due to the spherical form and since the moon was on the horizon when it was launched on June 14th. Along with the respect of breaking the file, the fortunate fisherman was compensated on the market charge, ie he obtained a cost of about $ 600.
