A fisherman on the Mekong River, in Vinh Long province, thinking he had snagged a tree trunk in his net, was surprised when he hauled in an endangered giant barb, a rare species of carp, weighing 128kg, nearly ten times the biggest fish he had ever caught.
Nguyen Van Minh was netting for small fish when he snared the barb, which believes may have been old and weak, became entangled in his net and was unable to escape. His previous biggest catch was 15kg.
The giant carp weighing 128kg caught by Mr. Minh
Many locals flocked to Minh’s house to see his giant catch, which was bought by a restaurateur in HCM City for VND162 million (USD7,710).
Minh was sure he had snagged a tree trunk as he began hauling in his net.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the giant carp is the largest of the Mekong cyprinid fishes. But catch quantities, and the overall size of the fish, have declined in recent years due to overfishing. The barb is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List.
The giant carp was once an important food fish in Thailand, Laos PDR and Cambodia. Over the past 20 years, the abundance of this species has dropped sharply, raising grave concerns for regional authorities concerned about the sustainability of fish stocks in the Mekong.
Many rivers in the species’ range have been seriously affected by urbanisation, dams and pollution from agriculture, urbanisation and industry, which have led to a dramatic reduction in its habitat.
The species was highly valued by fisheries and was over-harvested, particularly through gill-net fishing, which poses the greatest threat to the giant fish.
Nguyen Van Minh, a poor fisherman, said he was very happy with the price, which he would help him repay debt and buy a new net.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
