Anyone Been To Chiang Kong This Year To See If The Big Catfish "puua Blaack" (please Pardon The Sp) Is Being Caught This Year And Worthy Of A Trip?

[arizonadave]

Read a couple weeks ago in the Post that they were going to allow fishing this year for the first time in years. Might be the opportunity to see something unique and vanishing. Would love to hear from anyone who has seen this year's or any other year's catch.

[naka]

Read a couple weeks ago in the Post that they were going to allow fishing this year for the first time in years. Might be the opportunity to see something unique and vanishing. Would love to hear from anyone who has seen this year's or any other year's catch.

Why would you want to ? They are almost extinct

What sad sack !

Naka.

Edited May 14, 2007 by naka

[CarlBkk]

Read a couple weeks ago in the Post that they were going to allow fishing this year for the first time in years. Might be the opportunity to see something unique and vanishing. Would love to hear from anyone who has seen this year's or any other year's catch.

You mean you'd love to see a harmless near extinct creature hauled from the water and killed for money? Been done too many years with too little thought for the species. When there's only a few left there's two things to do if you like them: help out with the scheme that educates the locals NOT to kill every living creature they see, or go and see one in a proper well-maintained aquarium (if one is actually kept alive in artificial conditions that is).

[kmart]

The locals up there made a recent pledge to stop attempting to catch the giant catfish up there. As I recall...?

[KireB]

Read a couple weeks ago in the Post that they were going to allow fishing this year for the first time in years. Might be the opportunity to see something unique and vanishing. Would love to hear from anyone who has seen this year's or any other year's catch.

Why would you want to ? They are almost extinct

What sad sack !

Naka.

I would love to see this as well. It's part of a tradition and you will see one of the biggest fresh water fish in the world. That they're nearly extinct, means there has to be a quota or restrictions on the numbers to be caught. I've been told that this fish is delicious.

And why call someone a sad sack. Kind of hypocrite not? I am sure you're not a veganist and love your seafood once in a while mister naka!

[CarlBkk]

The locals up there made a recent pledge to stop attempting to catch the giant catfish up there. As I recall...?

Yes they did, providing that a conservation agency buys their fishing nets and finds them new jobs. According to the news, funds for all but one net were cleared and given to the fishermen (and these nets were into the hundred thousands I think), but due to the slow payment for the last net they didn't waste much time catching another Pla Buek as soon as the 5 day "open season" began. Luckily an American documentary team were there studying the fish and agreed to buy the doomed fish off them for a few hundred thousand baht before it was killed. They let it go but filmed the whole experience, which should be interesting to watch.

[frikkiedeboer]

The locals up there made a recent pledge to stop attempting to catch the giant catfish up there. As I recall...?

Yes they did, providing that a conservation agency buys their fishing nets and finds them new jobs. According to the news, funds for all but one net were cleared and given to the fishermen (and these nets were into the hundred thousands I think), but due to the slow payment for the last net they didn't waste much time catching another Pla Buek as soon as the 5 day "open season" began. Luckily an American documentary team were there studying the fish and agreed to buy the doomed fish off them for a few hundred thousand baht before it was killed. They let it go but filmed the whole experience, which should be interesting to watch.

there was a drive and incentives-buying nets,education etc some time ago , but from what i heard, most of these guys went back to fishiong "plah-beuk", because they saw that the guys on the laos side of the river simply carried on with the practice. sadly it seems that fishing for these rare giants will never be banned, or policed properly. the good news is that the fingerlings are now being made available to the public, and one would hope that as a commercially available version emerges in the markets at a cheaper price, fishing for them with nets would become a less economically viable, thus less attractive occupation. i have personally seen these farmed fish offered for sale at some of the roving talaats in isaan- (no, i am not getting confused with the smaller cousin, the "sawaai", which is more commonly available.) i stocked one of my ponds with a few and they have done really well. the fingerlings cost me 250thb each, from a fishfarm in Non-din-daeng. doubt if ,at this price anybody would be able to conduct a viable aquaculture business, and i know i was ripped off, but i just could not resist. mine will serve the purpose of providing me with really good light-tackle fishing, right on my doorstep, and any i catch will have their growth-rates and condition recorded and released to fight another day

frikkie

[arizonadave]

Why is it so common for some message board folks to assume the worst? Didn't say I was in favor of the policy. Would like to see one of the creatures is all. And this might be the last chance to do so. Wasn't aware that they were on display in public aquariums either? The sad and rampant destruction of wildlife populations is caused by habitat destruction and improper or nonexistent management. China is blowing up the rapids where they spawn and as stated above the Lao's are taking all they can. Would love to be able to do something about it and 1000's of other examples of our natural world losing out to developement and human population growth. How about contributing to family planning education worldwide? Oh and go ahead and be a vegan. And convince yourself that you are now pure. And that the land your food is grown on was never wildife habitat, and that your dwelling is on for that matter. How about the energy and infrastructure we use just to be comfy and entertained. How about the jets that fly us around. Gee listen to me, sounds as though I'm turning into one of those nitpicky message boarder's, apology's, sincerely.

[frikkiedeboer]

Why is it so common for some message board folks to assume the worst? Didn't say I was in favor of the policy. Would like to see one of the creatures is all. And this might be the last chance to do so. Wasn't aware that they were on display in public aquariums either? The sad and rampant destruction of wildlife populations is caused by habitat destruction and improper or nonexistent management. China is blowing up the rapids where they spawn and as stated above the Lao's are taking all they can. Would love to be able to do something about it and 1000's of other examples of our natural world losing out to developement and human population growth. How about contributing to family planning education worldwide? Oh and go ahead and be a vegan. And convince yourself that you are now pure. And that the land your food is grown on was never wildife habitat, and that your dwelling is on for that matter. How about the energy and infrastructure we use just to be comfy and entertained. How about the jets that fly us around. Gee listen to me, sounds as though I'm turning into one of those nitpicky message boarder's, apology's, sincerely.

check out this link: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...antcatfish.html

now THAT is a fish!

[naka]

Why is it so common for some message board folks to assume the worst? Didn't say I was in favor of the policy. Would like to see one of the creatures is all. And this might be the last chance to do so. Wasn't aware that they were on display in public aquariums either? The sad and rampant destruction of wildlife populations is caused by habitat destruction and improper or nonexistent management. China is blowing up the rapids where they spawn and as stated above the Lao's are taking all they can. Would love to be able to do something about it and 1000's of other examples of our natural world losing out to developement and human population growth. How about contributing to family planning education worldwide? Oh and go ahead and be a vegan. And convince yourself that you are now pure. And that the land your food is grown on was never wildife habitat, and that your dwelling is on for that matter. How about the energy and infrastructure we use just to be comfy and entertained. How about the jets that fly us around. Gee listen to me, sounds as though I'm turning into one of those nitpicky message boarder's, apology's, sincerely.

Sorry Arizona ... Mea Culpa ... A combination of my love for wildlife and my

love of beer for breakfast.

Oh, and No, you didn't say you were in favor of any policy in your original post.

Naka.

Edited May 16, 2007 by naka