Tong Minh Chanh, a resident in the Mekong delta province of An Giang, released more than 80,000 artificially breed pangasius kunyit fish into the Hau and Vam Nao Rivers and another river along the islet of Au in Can Tho City, to allow them to propagate.

Chanh is the first man in Long Hoa Commune of Phu Tan District in An Giang Province, who has successfully bred pangasius kunyit under artificial conditions for the purpose of releasing them into their natural river habitats.
Chanh and the aquatic departments in the Mekong delta are propagating huge numbers of fish under the program ‘Releasing Fish into Rivers to Propagate’.
As planned, around 400,000 home breed pangasius kunyit will be released into rivers in the region.
Chanh said the fish is at the risk of extinction in rivers because of overfishing. He had begun breeding pangasius kunyit in artificial conditions in 2005 and saw success in 2009.
However, pilot breeding still continues in the Mekong delta province of Tra Vinh and Can Gio and Nha Be District of Ho Chi Minh City.
The volume of fish caught from its natural habitat in An Giang Province has declined over the years from 91,000 tons in 2000 to 37,000 tons in 2010. Man’s appetite for fish is exceeding the oceans ecological limits with devastating impact. Many varieties of fish are being over exploited to reach a point where they face significant depletion or even extinction. An Giang Province is focusing on releasing back fish into rivers to create an ecological balance. |