the Mekong River system is one of the biggest and most productive in the world
more than 2 million tons of fish hauled
more than 2 million tons of fish hauled out of this river every year
there are over 1,000 species of fish in
there are over 1,000 species of fish in these waters only the Amazon in the
these waters only the Amazon in the
these waters only the Amazon in the Congo have greater diversity more large
Congo have greater diversity more large
Congo have greater diversity more large fish occur in the Mekong than in any
fish occur in the Mekong than in any
fish occur in the Mekong than in any other river in the world this may be
other river in the world this may be
other river in the world this may be because of the rivers amazingly high
because of the rivers amazingly high
because of the rivers amazingly high productivity and large expanses of
productivity and large expanses of
productivity and large expanses of floodplain habitats its size and link
floodplain habitats its size and link
floodplain habitats its size and link also mean that these waters provide
also mean that these waters provide
also mean that these waters provide plenty of room to grow
Zeb Hogan believes that the giant fish
Zeb Hogan believes that the giant fish of the Mekong are critically important
of the Mekong are critically important
of the Mekong are critically important to the survival of the region and that
to the survival of the region and that
to the survival of the region and that they can tell us a lot about what might
they can tell us a lot about what might
they can tell us a lot about what might be happening and other great rivers I
be happening and other great rivers I
be happening and other great rivers I was out here working and seeing what was
was out here working and seeing what was
was out here working and seeing what was happening and I wanted to do something
happening and I wanted to do something
happening and I wanted to do something to try to stop the fish from going
to try to stop the fish from going
to try to stop the fish from going extinct the World Wildlife Fund
extinct the World Wildlife Fund
extinct the World Wildlife Fund researcher has literally immersed
researcher has literally immersed
researcher has literally immersed himself in these waters for nine years
himself in these waters for nine years
himself in these waters for nine years gone fishing you could say for what
gone fishing you could say for what
gone fishing you could say for what could be the rivers greatest asset this
could be the rivers greatest asset this
could be the rivers greatest asset this is the Mekong River catfish it is a
is the Mekong River catfish it is a
is the Mekong River catfish it is a beast and has been known to weigh over
beast and has been known to weigh over
beast and has been known to weigh over 600 pounds but they’re getting harder
600 pounds but they’re getting harder
600 pounds but they’re getting harder and harder to find because of zetz work
and harder to find because of zetz work
and harder to find because of zetz work they have finally been listed as
they have finally been listed as
they have finally been listed as critically endangered although it’s
critically endangered although it’s
critically endangered although it’s nearly impossible to estimate their
nearly impossible to estimate their
nearly impossible to estimate their exact population well nobody really
exact population well nobody really
exact population well nobody really knows how many fish are left in the
knows how many fish are left in the
knows how many fish are left in the river what we do know is that a hundred
river what we do know is that a hundred
river what we do know is that a hundred years ago Fisher’s were catching
years ago Fisher’s were catching
years ago Fisher’s were catching hundreds if not thousands of fish and
hundreds if not thousands of fish and
hundreds if not thousands of fish and these days in a good year Fisher’s catch
these days in a good year Fisher’s catch
these days in a good year Fisher’s catch ten to fifteen fish
ten to fifteen fish
ten to fifteen fish [Music]
[Music]
[Music] the giant catfish is a big part of the
the giant catfish is a big part of the
the giant catfish is a big part of the culture along the Mekong River you can
culture along the Mekong River you can
culture along the Mekong River you can see them represented by ancient art
see them represented by ancient art
see them represented by ancient art [Music]
[Music]
[Music] so in 2000 Hogan who is also a National
so in 2000 Hogan who is also a National
so in 2000 Hogan who is also a National Geographic Society emerging Explorer
Geographic Society emerging Explorer
Geographic Society emerging Explorer begin a one-man crusade to save the
begin a one-man crusade to save the
begin a one-man crusade to save the giant fish and and tagged and released
giant fish and and tagged and released
giant fish and and tagged and released 65 kilos Zeb first went after the
65 kilos Zeb first went after the
65 kilos Zeb first went after the fisherman oh so it really starts to
fisherman oh so it really starts to
fisherman oh so it really starts to increase now we made an agreement with
increase now we made an agreement with
increase now we made an agreement with fishermen with the fishers but catching
fishermen with the fishers but catching
fishermen with the fishers but catching a fish that when they caught one of the
a fish that when they caught one of the
a fish that when they caught one of the fish they would contact us and then we
fish they would contact us and then we
fish they would contact us and then we would reimburse them for the fish we
would reimburse them for the fish we
would reimburse them for the fish we would pay them for the fish then we take
would pay them for the fish then we take
would pay them for the fish then we take the fish we have a special
the fish we have a special
the fish we have a special rehabilitation tank where we’ll place
rehabilitation tank where we’ll place
rehabilitation tank where we’ll place the fish in clean water with antibiotics
the fish in clean water with antibiotics
the fish in clean water with antibiotics we leave the fish in the tank for a few
we leave the fish in the tank for a few
we leave the fish in the tank for a few hours when the fish seems strong we take
hours when the fish seems strong we take
hours when the fish seems strong we take that tank out into the middle of the
that tank out into the middle of the
that tank out into the middle of the river tag the fish and then release it
river tag the fish and then release it
river tag the fish and then release it back into the end of the Tonle Sap River
back into the end of the Tonle Sap River
back into the end of the Tonle Sap River so that it can continue its migration
so that it can continue its migration
so that it can continue its migration these days Zeb is working with the
these days Zeb is working with the
these days Zeb is working with the Cambodian government and has had to
Cambodian government and has had to
Cambodian government and has had to change his tactics local leaders won’t
change his tactics local leaders won’t
change his tactics local leaders won’t allow them to pay fishermen for their
allow them to pay fishermen for their
allow them to pay fishermen for their catch because they worry that his money
catch because they worry that his money
catch because they worry that his money actually encourages people to go after
actually encourages people to go after
actually encourages people to go after the big fish now these enormous
the big fish now these enormous
the big fish now these enormous creatures are protected and fishermen
creatures are protected and fishermen
creatures are protected and fishermen are required to release all giant
are required to release all giant
are required to release all giant catfish a 1.3
exams work with locals suggest that the
exams work with locals suggest that the population of these aquatic Giants is
population of these aquatic Giants is
population of these aquatic Giants is spiraling down the first year I was here
spiraling down the first year I was here
spiraling down the first year I was here they caught 11 fish and every year since
they caught 11 fish and every year since
they caught 11 fish and every year since the catch has been slowly declining but
the catch has been slowly declining but
the catch has been slowly declining but overfishing may be only part of the
overfishing may be only part of the
overfishing may be only part of the problem we only know of one spawning
problem we only know of one spawning
problem we only know of one spawning location for Mekong giant catfish and
location for Mekong giant catfish and
location for Mekong giant catfish and that’s in far northern Thailand that
that’s in far northern Thailand that
that’s in far northern Thailand that area of northern Thailand is just
area of northern Thailand is just
area of northern Thailand is just downstream of a series of dams that
downstream of a series of dams that
downstream of a series of dams that China’s constructed within the last ten
China’s constructed within the last ten
China’s constructed within the last ten years and it’s also in an area that’s
years and it’s also in an area that’s
years and it’s also in an area that’s being blasted and dredged I never heard
being blasted and dredged I never heard
being blasted and dredged I never heard about anyone in the Zeb is also working
about anyone in the Zeb is also working
about anyone in the Zeb is also working to help the fish regain its celebrity
to help the fish regain its celebrity
to help the fish regain its celebrity status among the locals who live and
status among the locals who live and
status among the locals who live and depend upon the Mekong River for their
depend upon the Mekong River for their
depend upon the Mekong River for their livelihood this team has produced a book
livelihood this team has produced a book
livelihood this team has produced a book about the catfish and is distributing it
about the catfish and is distributing it
about the catfish and is distributing it to children this is a book that we did a
to children this is a book that we did a
to children this is a book that we did a few years ago about giant catfish oh
few years ago about giant catfish oh
few years ago about giant catfish oh just a story that mirrors the natural
just a story that mirrors the natural
just a story that mirrors the natural migration pattern of a giant catfish
migration pattern of a giant catfish
migration pattern of a giant catfish it’s very difficult to get idea across
it’s very difficult to get idea across
it’s very difficult to get idea across them endangered species find children a
them endangered species find children a
them endangered species find children a little bit more receptive to the message
Zeb believes that as goes the giant
Zeb believes that as goes the giant catfish so goes the Mekong and if the
catfish so goes the Mekong and if the
catfish so goes the Mekong and if the river can’t support these giant beasts
river can’t support these giant beasts
river can’t support these giant beasts that it probably won’t be able to
that it probably won’t be able to
that it probably won’t be able to support the people on its shores for
support the people on its shores for
support the people on its shores for much longer
much longer
much longer sponsored by National Geographic mission
sponsored by National Geographic mission
sponsored by National Geographic mission programs taking science and exploration
programs taking science and exploration
programs taking science and exploration into the new millennium
”
Be First to Comment