239-kg catfish caught in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- A 239-kg giant catfish has been netted and eaten by fishermen in northern Thailand, the biggest one on record, local press reported Friday.

The biggest-ever catfish was caught along the Mekong river, home to many species of massive fish. "We've now confirmed that this catfish is the current record holder, " Zeb Hogan, a science conservation expert of the World Wildlife Fund and the National Geographic Society was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying.

Since Thai officials started tracking the species in 1981, the fish recorded the heaviest and maybe the largest freshwater fish ever discovered, Zeb said in a statement.

The adult male fish died and was eaten by villagers as local environmentalists and government officials tried to release it. Itis still unknown how the giant fish was netted.

The Mekong giant catfish, the largest and rarest fish in Southeast Asia, was listed as critically endangered species in 2003 after research found that its number had dropped by at least 80 percent over the past 13 years.

"My study of giant freshwater fish is showing a clear global pattern: the largest fish species are disappearing," Hogan said.

--Agencies 2005-07-01

They could have done something better than eating it, preserve it and show the future generation the kind of giant fish found at the Mekong would be better option, after all the Mekong giant catfish is the largest and rarest fish in Southeast Asia, was listed as critically endangered species.

I was just about to post for any related photo. Thanks Jai Dee.

Ha, that catfish is nothing. Should've seen the one that I caught the other day but got away.

They could have done something better than eating it, preserve it and show the future generation the kind of giant fish found at the Mekong would be better option, after all the Mekong giant catfish is the largest and rarest fish in Southeast Asia, was listed as critically endangered species.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

NOOOOO!!! That would make sense.

http://www.fishing-worldrecords.com/worldrecords.pdf

Look at the bottom of page 12 on this pdf. There are 800, 900 and 1,100 pound catfish out there.

Just heard that this story is ALL over the news in the US