Fish that walk, and even ones that talk, stingrays the size of cars, minnows smaller than your fingernail, snail-eating pufferfish and ghostly salmon carp. These are just some of the 1,148 extraordinary fish species hidden beneath the surface of the Mekong river's murky waters for millennia.
Dazzlingly diverse, these fishes are astonishing in their own right. But taken together, they are central to the health of the entire Mekong River, and underpin societies and economies across the river basins, connecting six countries -- China, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. Each year, they participate in possibly the largest animal migration on Earth with an estimated 5 billion fish journeying along the river. And each year, they sustain the largest inland fishery in the world, which accounts for 15% of the global freshwater fish catch, and provides a huge boost to national economies. What's more, they ensure food security and livelihoods for 40 million people in the Lower Mekong alone.
Yet, for so many decision makers, these extraordinary fishes remain out-of-sight and out-of-mind. They are not factored into decisions about the river even though thriving freshwater fish populations and a healthy Mekong are critical to tackling our nature and climate crises, while also ensuring poverty alleviation and food security. Even though there has never been more awareness of -- or focus on solving -- the pressing environmental challenges we face across the Mekong region, with governments ramping up efforts to fulfil their commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Mekong's fishes rarely feature in related policy discourse.
The Mekong's Forgotten Fishes, a new report launched at the 9th World Fisheries Congress in Seattle, USA, by WWF and 21 organisations, highlights the pitfalls of the continued invisibility of these invaluable fishes. With nearly a fifth of Mekong fishes now threatened with extinction, the continued decline of biodiversity and the health of the Mekong spells disaster for people, economy and biodiversity. Commercial fish catches have also declined, while fish populations in Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake collapsed by 88% in the first two decades of this century. And there's no mystery over why Mekong fish numbers are falling so precipitously: poorly planned hydropower dams, habitat loss, sand mining, pollution and climate change are among the factors pushing populations to the brink.
As the report illustrates, those at the brunt of the most immediate effects of this disaster are the people who know the fish best -- the fishers and families who live along the river and depend on the Mekong's fishes for their food security and livelihoods. Their lives and cultures are entwined with these fishes. People across the Lower Mekong (Lao PDR, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam) eat much more fish than people in the rest of Asia. Cambodians receive 56% of their animal protein from freshwater fish. The fisheries contribute US$11 billion to regional economies, making up 16% of the Global Domestic Product of Lao PDR. If their fisheries disappear, countries will lose this income and will need to invest in a vast increase in agriculture and aquaculture -- converting vast new areas to beef, pork and crops -- undermining efforts to halt nature loss, increasing water demand and generating huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.
But we have the solutions and capacity to reverse this troubling trajectory. Mekong governments can commit to the Freshwater Challenge, a country-led initiative that aims to support, integrate and accelerate the restoration of 300,000 kilometres of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030, as well as conserve intact freshwater ecosystems. By setting ambitious national targets to restore the health of the Mekong, countries can safeguard species and their habitats, while benefiting communities and other iconic biodiversity, such as the critically endangered Mekong dolphins. Forty-five countries have joined the Freshwater Challenge so far, but only one from the Mekong region: Cambodia.
Beyond this, Mekong governments also need to take other critical measures -- from keeping rivers free-flowing to tackling unsustainable sand mining, destructive fishing practices and pollution. They can also tap into and promote new opportunities, such as sustainably managed aquaculture and the ever-increasing popularity of recreational angling. Investing resources and attention in these sectors can provide much-needed income for communities, incentivising species protection across the Mekong's priceless ecosystems.
Above all, decision makers should listen to the people who have never forgotten the Mekong's fishes and who are facing the immediate effects of their decline. They have the knowledge and solutions to make the difference, as shown by the success of community-led Fish Conservation Zones in Lao PDR and eco-tourism initiatives in Cambodia, to name just a few examples. With their leadership, we have a fighting chance to avert future tipping points for fishes and people. But only if we act now. And that is the critical question: will we take the necessary action before it's too late?
Lan Mercado is WWF's Regional Director for Asia-Pacific.