Largest freshwater fish caught Cambodia

The largest freshwater fish ever recorded was captured last week in Cambodia's stretch of the Mekong River: a giant freshwater stingray measuring 4 meters ...

“Large fish are bellwethers of the health of freshwater ecosystems worldwide — the fish are sending us a message and we need to listen to it.” In response to the record-breaking discovery, Poum Sotha, director-general of Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration, said the country has a “special opportunity” to protect the species and its core habitat. Fish-spawning grounds and migration corridors make this stretch of the river a natural powerhouse of fish production, generating up to 200 billion fish annually, according to Hogan. As part of that expedition, a network of local fishers agreed to report any catches of giant and endangered fish to the project team for study and safe release. The stingray was hooked in Stung Treng province, in a portion of the Mekong known for its diverse underwater habitats and rich potential to support species of both fisheries and conservation importance. “It is a signal to us to protect our rivers and lakes,” they say.

Scientists are cheering the sight of a 13-foot stingray found in the Mekong River as a sliver of hope for threatened species.

The 661-pound stingray is also the fourth large freshwater fish to be found in that area of the Mekong River since April 22, when Hogan’s team started asking local fishers to report any big fish they see. That suggests the area — near the fishing village of Koh Preah, 140 miles northeast of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh — could be a breeding ground for freshwater stingrays that needs to be conserved. Hogan spoke by phone from a vacation in Hawaii with his family. (The Wonders of the Mekong is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.) “The fact that this record-breaking fish was found is mainly significant because it shows that there is still hope for these fish,” he said. The stingray was weighed, then released.