Research & Article

The Mekong giant catfish Pangasianodon gigas and the giant carp Catlocarpio siamensis are two of the largest freshwater fish in the world, attaining 3 m and 300 kg. These two species are incidental catches of the Tonle Sap River bagnet fishery in Cambodia. A buy and release project was established in 2000 to help conserve P. gigas and C. siamensis. These species were purchased from bagnet operators and returned alive into the Tonle Sap River. In addition, two giant catfish were marked with extemnal plastic tags prior to release. In the short term, the purchase and subsequent release of captured wild fish may decrease the probability of the extinction of P. gigas and C. siamensis. The tagging of P. gigas may provide information about the migratory behavior of this species.