Called Boramy, meaning “full moon” in the Khmer language, due to its bulbous shape, the four-meter (13-foot) female was released back into the river after being electronically tagged to allow scientists to control its movement. and behavior. .
“This is very exciting news because it was the largest (freshwater) fish in the world,” said biologist Zeb Hogan, a former presenter of the show “Monster Fish” on the National Geographic Channel and now part of Wonders of the Mekong, a conservation project. to the river.
“It’s also exciting news because it means this stretch of the Mekong is still healthy … It’s a sign of hope that these huge fish are still alive (here).”
Boramy was made last week on Koh Preah, an island along the northern stretch of the Cambodian River. He took the record for a 645-pound giant catfish that was caught upstream in northern Thailand in 2005.
After a fisherman caught the stingray, an endangered species, he contacted Wonders of the Mekong, who helped tag the stingray and release it back into the river.
The Mekong has the third most diverse fish population in the world, according to its River Commission, although overfishing, pollution, salt water intrusion and sediment depletion have plunged populations.
Stingrays, in particular, have been vulnerable to these changes, with events of mass death, despite current conservation measures such as fishing restrictions and river guards, according to Wonders of the Mekong.