50,000 Fish Released into Mekong River

A total of VND1,422 billion will be use to improve 618 kilometres of sea dykes and VND888 billion to build 741 kilometres of riverside dykes.

The dyke system will help local people cope with natural disasters, ensure adequate irrigation, facilitate transport and stabilise industrial and agricultural production.

Experts have forecast that if Vietnam does not take immediate action to combat climate change, the rising sea levels would submerge 15,000-20,000 square kilometres of land in the Mekong Delta region alone. As a result, nine out of 13 provinces in the region will be sunk under water.

Recently, about 50,000 young fish were released into the Mekong River in Vietnam as part of efforts to protect and preserve giant Mekong species.

The giant barb fish can grow to up to over 150 kg in weight and three meters in length.

The National Mekong Committees of Vietnam and Cambodia, together with the Mekong River Commission (MRC), joined forces in the event in Hong Ngu Town, Dong Thap Province.

The fish release site is about five km downstream Cambodia’s Prey Veng Province.

The endangered and valuable fish, Giant Barb or Catlocarpio siamensis, were bred by the Tien Giang Province-based National Breeding Center for Southern Freshwater Aquaculture, a unit of Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The giant barb is one of three flagship species of the MRC Fisheries Program, along with the Mekong Giant catfish and Jullien's Golden Carp.

The giant barb is known to be the largest freshwater fish in South East Asia.

The Mekong River Commission is the intergovernmental body responsible for cooperation on the sustainable management of the Mekong Basin whose members are Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam.