Collaborative Research of Mekong River Fishes

The Mekong River in Southeast Asia supports the world's most productive and diverse fish assemblage and inland fishery, providing food and income to over 60 million people. Recent appraisals have anticipated substantial effects of impending infrastructure development and climate change on river hydrology and productivity. Managing for change in the Mekong River Basin will require more information about the river's fishes. The short-term nature of past studies and the migratory life history of many of the river’s fishes create special challenges for providing information that can support decision making. The U.S. Geological Survey and FISHBIO, with support from the U.S. State Department, have developed the MFN Data Bank, an online data portal for fish and fisheries information from the Mekong, and the Mekong Fish Network that supports scientific communications and capacity building. A project with researchers at Can Tho University has begun testing standard sampling methods using trawls and gill nets in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Initial research questions are focused on seasonal changes in catches, gear selectivity, and length-weight relationships for selected species. Broader implementation of shared sampling methods through the Data Bank could increase understanding of fish diversity and resources at larger scales.