Thai fishing sector cries foul over upstream dams on Mekong River

 

This photo taken on October 2, 2020 shows Moken fisherman Sanam Changnam showing his daily catch of fish off the coast of the southern Thai island of Phuket. – The COVID-19 coronavirus has wrought havoc across the world, but for Thailand’s “sea gypsies” it has brought welcome respite from the threat of mass tourism. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

 

Thais working in the fishing sector in the northeastern province of Nong Khai have expressed grave concern over the falling water level of the Mekong River, which is threatening their livelihoods through reduced catches and risks to their fish stocks being raised in river enclosures.

 

This year, the water level has dropped so far that riverbed rock formations are now visible and algae are directly threatening the fish being farmed in the river.

 

According to the hydrology station in Muang Mee sub-district of Nong Khai, the Mekong River is now just 1.44 metres deep, and is still dropping by 0.22 metres per day, because no water is being discharged from the upstream Jing Hong Dam in southern China and the closure of the Xayabury Dam, a hydroelectric facility in Laos.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-fishing-sector-cries-foul-over-upstream-dams-on-mekong-river/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-01-26

 

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2 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The COVID-19 coronavirus has wrought havoc across the world, but for Thailand’s “sea gypsies” it has brought welcome respite from the threat of mass tourism

 

"welcome respite"?

 

First time I have heard that kind of positivity from Thai people.

 

Cool, we can cross Sea Gypsies off the "require assistance" list.

Not seeing any connection here between a lack of fish in the Mekong river and Sea Gypsies fishing in the waters off Phuket. ????

Do the river fish normally swim out from the Mekong into the East Vietnam Sea and head for Singapore and then back up the Straights of Mallaca to Phuket?  Or are they flying fish? ????

Farmers and fishermen - China give us water.

TAT - China give us tourists !

Trash news reporting.  They might as well add in a paragraph about the price of tinned pilchards in Kanchanaburi....

4 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Trash news reporting.  They might as well add in a paragraph about the price of tinned pilchards in Kanchanaburi....

Surprise factor = 0

 

1.4m deep and dropping !

Are these turkeys for real ?

The master Xi must be saying you ain't getting our water until we have finished with it  ????

14 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Farmers and fishermen - China give us water.

TAT - China give us tourists !

All they sent was Covid...

China could use Mekong water as a tool to get the US out of SEA. Cut off water to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos to stop them cosying up to the yanks.

29 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

China could use Mekong water as a tool to get the US out of SEA. Cut off water to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos to stop them cosying up to the yanks.

 

No, China would never restrict he flow of water. 

They are just giving the Thai people a dry dock for the new submarines and currently in the R and D  stage.

There are over 200 dams planned along the mekong and its tributaries in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. If it's true Laos has decided to shut off the mekong at the Xayabury dam, it simply doesn't matter what China is doing because Thailand won't be getting a drop. Ironic as Thailand backed building this dam.

 

19 hours ago, simon43 said:

Trash news reporting.  They might as well add in a paragraph about the price of tinned pilchards in Kanchanaburi....

What a load of trash indeed.

 

The pic is of a fisherman 1000km from the Mekong. What about some pics to illustrate the problem. This echoes journalism all over; too lazy to go out in the field and do proper reporting.

 

The water table for 50 km south of the Mekong is getting so low, farmers are having to re-drill their deep wells. This is compounding a serious problem of poor seasonal rainfall.

 

If I can recall, Thailand helped fund one (or more) of the dams so they would be sold cheap leccy. 

The Mekong river system has existed for millions of years, and numerous unique species have evolved there. Being destroyed in a few decades. Very sad.

Laos is now pushing forward with many more massive mekong dams despite objections from Thailand. Laos even has the audacity to dam up the mekong with the Sanakham dam project a mere 2 km upstream from Thailand!!! Talk about a threatening location. Thailand has counter threatened not to buy hydroelectricity from Laos and is looking at solar farm technology as a future alternative. The Laotian dream to become the battery of asia is waning, but it may be too late to save the lower mekong from the juggernaut of Laotian dams.