Wednesday February 5, 2025
The Phnom Penh Post —
The Mekong River, a vital resource flowing through Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, plays a central role in the livelihoods of millions.
Its fisheries provide crucial food and income, but growing pressures from urbanisation, energy dams and irrigation systems have significantly disrupted fish migration patterns.
Australia and ASEAN have launched a collaborative effort which focuses on restoring these migration routes through fish passages, or fishways, which allow fish to bypass dams and other barriers.
Sponsored through the Mekong-Australia Partnership by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the project is working closely with Laos and Cambodia.
Today, it has expanded to include Vietnam and Thailand, with plans to include Indonesia in the near future.