Giant Mekong catfish off the hook

Thai fishermen have promised to stop catching the endangered giant Mekong
catfish to mark the 60th anniversary of their king's accession to the throne.
Nearly 60 fishermen made the pledge at a ceremony in the northern city of Chiang
Khong - one of several events to celebrate the King's long reign.

The men are being paid $500 (£270) for each giant catfish net they surrender.

The creature was put on the World Conservation Union's critically endangered
list three years ago.

It was found that numbers of the species had plummeted over a decade.

The giant Mekong catfish can grow to around 3m in length and weigh up to 300kg.

"This is a great commitment from fishermen," Chiang Khong senator Tuenjai Deetes
told the Associated Press news agency.

"Every fisherman will stop fishing giant catfish forever."

Conservationists said the ban was a first step towards saving the catfish, but
warned that more needed to be done to ensure their survival.

A Mekong catfish weighing 293kg was netted last year, believed to be one of the
largest freshwater fish ever caught.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...ic/5068206.stm

Published: 2006/06/10 19:41:15 GMT