THE MEKONG’S FORGOTTEN FISHES …AND THE EMERGENCY RECOVERY PLAN TO SAVE THEM

The Mekong River basin is the world's most productive inland fishery and the third most species-rich river for fish, hosting 1,148 recognized species. However, nearly 20% of these species are threatened with extinction due to hydropower dams, habitat loss, sand mining, pollution, and climate change. The report highlights the critical role of fish in regional food security—providing over half of the animal protein for many Lower Mekong populations—and their economic value in aquaculture, the aquarium trade, and potential eco-tourism. To reverse these declines, the document proposes a six-pillar Emergency Recovery Plan focusing on natural river flow, water quality, habitat restoration, sustainable resource management, control of invasive species, and the removal of obsolete barriers.

• The Mekong is the third most species-rich river for freshwater fishes globally, with 1,148 recognized species, and approximately 25% of these are endemic to the basin.
• The Mekong hosts one of the planet's largest animal migrations, with an estimated five billion individual fish moving annually, including 321 migratory species.
• The Mekong Basin represents the largest inland fishery on Earth, producing 15% of the global annual inland fish catch and valued at over US$11 billion per year as of 2015.
• Wild capture fisheries are vital for food security in the Lower Mekong Basin, providing between 50% and 80% of the animal protein consumed by people in the region.
• Approximately 19% of known Mekong fish species are threatened with extinction, with 74 species on the IUCN Red List, including 18 classified as Critically Endangered.
• Hydropower dams are the primary threat to Mekong fishes, creating barriers to migration, altering flow regimes, and trapping essential nutrients and sediments.
• Unsustainable sand mining is causing the Mekong Delta to sink and shrink, with an estimated loss of 1.5 football fields per day, while also destroying fish habitats.
• The aquarium trade involves as many as 120 Mekong fish species (14% of total species), but it remains largely unregulated and has contributed to the 90% decline of the Siamese tiger perch over 20 years.
• Climate change is projected to increase average temperatures in the Lower Mekong Basin by 3–5℃ by the end of the century and alter hydrobiological seasons.
• The report advocates for a six-pillar Emergency Recovery Plan: letting rivers flow naturally, improving water quality, protecting critical habitats, ending unsustainable resource management, controlling invasive species, and removing obsolete barriers.

APA

Hughes, K. (2024). THE MEKONG’S FORGOTTEN FISHES …AND THE EMERGENCY RECOVERY PLAN TO SAVE THEM. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/172/4u7x78m72z_FINAL_Mekong_Forgotten_Fishes_web_version_.pdf

Chicago

Hughes, Kathy. THE MEKONG’S FORGOTTEN FISHES …AND THE EMERGENCY RECOVERY PLAN TO SAVE THEM. WWF International, 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/172/4u7x78m72z_FINAL_Mekong_Forgotten_Fishes_web_version_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hughes |first1=Kathy |title=THE MEKONG’S FORGOTTEN FISHES …AND THE EMERGENCY RECOVERY PLAN TO SAVE THEM |publisher=WWF International |date=2024 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/172/4u7x78m72z_FINAL_Mekong_Forgotten_Fishes_web_version_.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hughes2024mekongs, author = {Hughes, Kathy}, title = {{THE MEKONG’S FORGOTTEN FISHES …AND THE EMERGENCY RECOVERY PLAN TO SAVE THEM}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/172/4u7x78m72z_FINAL_Mekong_Forgotten_Fishes_web_version_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }