Biodiversity and Fisheries in the Mekong River Basin

摘要

The fishery of the Lower Mekong Basin is one of the most abundant river fisheries in the world. It is of vital importance to the 55 million people who live in the basin. Not only do millions of people earn much needed income from catching, preserving and marketing fish and other aquatic products, they also depend on the fishery as their main source of animal protein. Although the Mekong River Commission (MRC)'s research has demonstrated that the fishery is still in good condition, this could change quickly if it is not well managed and developments in other sectors have adverse impacts on aquatic life. In the report that follows, the authors propose that in the Mekong the importance of the fisheries is the major argument for protecting the biodiversity. They also discuss threats to biodiversity from within and outside the fisheries sector and measures that should be undertaken to sustain biodiversity.