Wednesday December 28, 2022
The Star —
Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra thanked authorities in Kandal province’s Khsach Kandal district for releasing a Mekong giant catfish back into the wild on Dec 27.
The fish measured 46kg and 157cm and was caught by a fisherman in Prek Tameak commune’s Svay At Leu village, according to Pheaktra.
The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is classed as a critically endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
It was also added to the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), so people are banned from catching, buying and selling the fish.