Unsustainable development threatens the diverse fish populations of the Mekong river, with one-fifth of fish species facing extinction, a new report by conservation groups said. But some scientists say it's "not too late" for countries in the delta to reverse the adverse impacts. - REUTERS
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00:00 Some of the largest and rarest fish, freshwater fish, anywhere on earth occur in the Mekong
00:07 River.
00:08 But a new report says almost one-fifth of the known fishes in the Mekong, one of Asia's
00:13 longest rivers, are threatened with extinction, though scientists say it's not too late if
00:20 we change course now.
00:22 I don't think it's too much to ask to find ways to develop the river sustainably and
00:30 still maintain these incredibly productive and diverse fisheries that have supported
00:36 people for thousands of years.
00:41 In the Mekong River lives a dazzling range of fish species, among them the world's largest
00:46 catfish, largest carp, as well as freshwater stingrays thought to weigh more than 1,100
00:53 pounds.
00:54 But a collaborative report published on Monday by more than 20 conservation groups issued
01:00 a warning about the world's third most biodiverse river after the Amazon and Congo.
01:06 It says unsustainable development has put 74 fishes at risk of extinction, with 18 species
01:13 already critically endangered.
01:16 Zeb Hogan, a University of Nevada biologist and head of the USAID Wonders of the Mekong
01:22 project, was part of the Mekong's Forgotten Fishes report.
01:26 There are new discoveries of freshwater species, fish species, every year.
01:33 So the Mekong River is still full of diversity, full of species that have yet to be described.
01:42 And so there's the potential, as the basin is developed, that we might lose species before
01:48 they're even known to science.
01:51 Flowing through six countries, from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, the river
01:55 is also the world's largest inland fishery.
01:59 And a depletion of catches could threaten food security for some 40 million people across
02:04 Southeast Asia, as well as China.
02:08 Among the causes, Hogan pinpoints the development of hydropower dams as the main culprit that
02:14 fundamentally impacts the river system.
02:17 And he says it's crucial that countries in the delta coordinate efforts to reverse the
02:22 damage done now, because the data show it's not too late to turn the tide.
02:27 No species have gone extinct.
02:29 The fisheries are still incredibly productive.
02:32 And so what that tells us is if we take action, collectively take action to develop the river
02:41 sustainably, there's still hope for the fisheries, the fish, and the people that depend on them.
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