Fish species in the Mekong river are threatened with extinction - says WWF

Overfishing and new hydroelectric dams are among the reasons why a fifth of the fish species in the Mekong River in Asia are threatened with extinction, according to a report from, among others, WWF.

The Mekong River runs through several countries such as China and Vietnam. More than 1,100 species of fish are found in the river, 25 percent of which are found only there. It is considered the world’s third most species-rich river, after the Amazon and the Congo Rivers.

According to the report, which 25 organizations produced, human exploitation such as extensive sand mining, overfishing, and the effects of climate change are the underlying reasons why the fish are threatened.

– The alarming decline of fish in the Mekong is an urgent signal that we must act quickly to save these extremely important and unique species, said Gustaf Lind, Secretary General of the World Wide Fund for Nature WWF in a press release.

Lind adds that the survival of the fishermen is important for the region’s food supply and biodiversity.