Mekong fishermen anticipate tight lines
Vientiane Times, By: Khonesavanh Latsaphao
(Latest Update September 27, 2008)
Most villagers in southern Laos , including those in Khong district, Champassak province, will start fishing again at the end of this month, Khong District Governor Soubin Chanthaphim said last week.
As streams, swamps and rice paddy fields begin to dry out, many species of fish, such as small carp, snakehead fish (pa khor) and catfish (pa douk), migrate from these areas to perennial water bodies like the Mekong River .
Mr Soubin said villagers use assorted traditional fishing equipment to catch fish as they migrate over these short distances. Some families make fish sauce (pa daek) from their catch during this season.
By the end of October, fish begin migrating up the Mekong River from Cambodia . Each year, hundreds of thousands of fish are caught by fishermen in the district and sold in local markets.
Fishermen will supply about two tonnes of fish per day to local markets, Mr Soubin said.
The Mekong is usually full of fishing nets and fishing traps made of bamboo. Additionally, the fishing rods used by many local fishermen in the district scatter the riverbank.
Mr Soubin explained that fishing traps are perfect for use on this stretch of the Mekong, as there are many waterfalls on the river that are scattered with rocks and stones, in between which the nets can be placed.
Hundreds of fishermen around the district will head to the Mekong every day during the fishing season. At this time of the year, when the water is low, it is much easier to catch the fish.
By mid-December, as the river drops, the first of the long-distance migratory small cyprinid fish begin arriving at the Liphy Waterfall from Cambodia . Villagers will use bamboo and wood traps placed in various channels around the waterfall to catch this fish.
Mr Soubin said the species is caught in large quantities as they migrate up the Mekong River past the waterfalls.
The river is home to many species of fish, which are eagerly sought after by fishermen and fish traders throughout the country.
The Mekong is the largest river in Southeast Asia , and the twelfth largest in the world.
An estimated 1,700 species of fish are believed to inhabit the river, including the endangered Mekong giant catfish. According to the Mekong River Commission, the Mekong basin supports about 60 million people living along the river. |
