Officials from the Rivers for Life Association, along with scholars from Chiang Rai Rajabhat University and Mae Fah Luang University, visited Ban Don at Rim Khong Subdistrict, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province, to meet with a group of local fishermen along the Mekong River and discuss the threats that affect the decline of freshwater stingrays in the Mekong River.
The Rivers for Life Association officials, along with Chiang Rai Rajabhat University and Mae Fah Luang University, are researching stingrays and other fish species in the Ban Don area.
Ban Don is the only area in the Mekong River in Chiang Rai Province where fishermen often catch freshwater stingrays.
Professor Suthi Malithong, Innovative Technology Transfer Institute Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, said that the freshwater stingray in the Ban Don area of the Mekong River was a spot that had a characteristic that the villagers called “mortar” or “Wang” with the underwater surface being a mixture of mud, sand and sediment, which is a feeding ground for fresh water stingrays.
He said there are many red worms and earthworms, and the area has lost the rapids, making it a rich habitat for white cobweb larvae and white beetle larvae, which are food for stingrays.
In addition, it was found that waterside plants also trap sediment, creating mud and sand areas that are food for stingrays. As a result, freshwater stingrays are being caught in the Ban Don area.
He said the number of stingrays will decrease if living areas and food sources disappear due to water level changes from dams in China.
He said the rising and falling of water will decrease the habitat and food of stingrays, directly affecting them. If there is no food, it will cause them to migrate and be lost forever.
Freshwater Stingrays Difficult to Catch
Mr. Thawin Sirithep, Village Headman of Village No. 3, Rim Khong Subdistrict, said that last month, local fishermen caught stingrays over 1.2 kilograms in size in the Ban Don area.
He said the stingray is considered a fish that is difficult to find and is near extinction in the Mekong River because of the ecosystem.
The changing of the Mekong River, with unusual increases and decreases in the amount of water, makes it difficult for local fishermen to catch certain types of fish.
The village leader of Don Thi village thanked the River for Life Association for coming to help with research on conserving stingrays in the Mekong River.
He said fishermen were more than happy to help in a study and learn about breeding and propagation to conserve stingrays and other Mekong River freshwater fish species that are on the verge of extinction due to river flows.
Mr. Somsak Nanthalak, a fisherman in the Ban Don area, said that finding fish in the Mekong River is currently quite difficult. Especially during this period when the river is high. Most of the villagers who worked as fishers have turned to farming.
He said he is happy the association River for Life has come to research the breeding and conservation of stingrays, using the Don Thi Village Chiang Khong District area as a conservation area for the Mekong River stingrays.
Dams Affecting Habitat
According to Rivers for Life, the stingrays in the Mekong River face a number of serious threats that affect their populations and habitat. One threat found was changes in water level. Controlling the water level of dams in the Mekong River in China affects the currents and flow patterns of the river.
This disrupts the life cycle of fish, including stingrays, which rely on natural changes in water levels for migration, spawning, and foraging for food. The river bank erosion caused by the water fluctuations is also a problem.
These water level changes affect the stingray’s habitat; collapsed banks destroy groves, palaces and banks that are important feeding and spawning grounds. Construction of dams and other infrastructure on the Mekong River destroys stingrays’ natural habitats, such as rocks, pools, and sand.
Destructive fishing practices, such as using illegal fishing gear, can also destroy stingray breeding and feeding grounds.
Water pollution from agriculture, factories, and communities also affects water quality in the Mekong River. These pollutants are harmful to stingrays, especially young fish Stingrays.
Mr. Somsak said that although there are laws prohibiting the catching of stingrays, law enforcement could be more effective. He said these threats are affecting stingray populations in the Mekong River, causing the population to decrease rapidly.
This article was first published in the Chiang Rai Focus in Thai.
By Geoff Thomas