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Foreign Correspondent: Spawning dams, not fish, on the Mekong?

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Women sits with fish, rice and fruits for sale on blankets
Foreign Correspondent: Spawning dams, not fish, on the Mekong?

SUBJECTS:  Geography

YEARS:  7–8, 9–10


The Mekong is the largest freshwater fishery in the world.

However, this may be about to change.

Discover in this 2010 clip how migration of fish species along the lower Mekong may be impeded by the proposed construction of dams along this mighty river.

Do the economic benefits of the dam outweigh the potential loss of a bountiful river?


Things to think about

  1. 1.What do you know about the pattern of movements of fish along a river? Why might a plan to dam a major river spark discussion about fish migrations and extinctions?
  2. 2.The Mekong River has long been 'the Provider'. What does Kham La say about 'Mother Mekong's bounty' and what evidence of it does he give? What does Professor Phil Hirsch of Sydney University say about migratory species and dams on the Lower Mekong mainstream? Note how Prof. Hirsch sums up the benefits of the dams. The World Wildlife Fund opposes the proposed nine dams on the Mekong in Laos. Why?
  3. 3.Ecologists claim that dams across the Mekong will lead to extinction of some fish species. The trade-off for the Lao Government is hundreds of millions of dollars from hydro-electricity. Use your knowledge of ecology and food chains to explore the possible impacts of fish species disappearance. How might this further affect the bounty of the river? How do you think the benefits stack up against the potential loss of food supply?
  4. 4.Fish ladders (fishways) are often combined in dam construction as a way of enabling migratory fish species to move upstream and downstream. Find out more about fish ladders. How do they work? Are they successful, and where? How might modified approaches be required for different fish species, including the Mekong giant catfish?



Date of broadcast: 5 Oct 2010


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