| During the dry season the depth of the Mekong river near the village of Hartke, in northern Thailand, is one or two meters only. However, particularly at this time dozens of chiseled boats briskly move over the shallow waters between the shore and island in the middle of the river. The fishermen throw strong nets with large cells into the water and then slowly pull them along the river. They all hope to catch an unusual giant catfish. Here it is called the "plaa tank."
Pick-up vans wait on the shore, packed with ice, ready to immediately deliver the fish to a restaurant in Thailand. Since long ago, the Mekong catfish has been considered as a symbol of male power. Its meat is considered to have stimulating qualities, and is sold in Bangkok at $16 per kilogram.
What has raised the fish to this special status in Thailand? Of course, the qualities attributed to it - the huge size, but in recent years only a small number of them are surviving. Adult fish can weigh up to 300 kilograms, which makes it one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Their fishing has become a profitable business. As it is expressed by a local fisherman, it is equal to winning the national lottery.
Not surprisingly, the Thai fishermen have a sense of awe for "plaa tank." For good fishing they keep rice liquor, boiled chicken, rice, red clothes, comb and mirror in boat, to thank the spirit-woman who, according to legend, is present in the boat.
In the 80's, the catches began to decline sharply, and Thai scientists launched a program for the artificial breeding of "plaa baks." Lacking any modern equipment, and undeterred by the lack of theoretical data on the subject, they have improvised in the work process. However, scientists have found strong allies as deep concern of King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX, towards the condition of environment in the country as well as the fishermen, who better than anyone, understood the need to protect a major source of their existence.
Along the Mekong River, boards and posters were placed, announcing that the Department of Fisheries pays the fishermen a good price for live catfish. A small expedition of scientists was sent to the river during the season of catching. Of course, the base of the expedition was the village Hartke, one of the few places, where the giant catfish is still fished.
Of the 300 families residing in the Hartke, generations of fishermen live, and they knew how to catch "plaa tank" with a net. During fishing, which lasts from May to June, the fishermen build temporary huts on the shore. They work around the clock, the channel between the village and the nearest island Hartke is partitioned off by the net for the entire fishing season. When a powerful big fish is caught, it surrenders to people without a fight. Despite having a big size, the local catfish are not aggressive. They are in fact mild toothless creatures, who feed on aquatic vegetation.
The first experiments on artificial breeding of these catfish were unsuccessful. Fishermen caught and offered four "plaa tanks" to scientists, but all soon died. All needed to be started over again ...
But as time passed - and ichthyologists, equipped with latest technology and using the latest data of science and practice, gained, at last, victory. Five million eggs were extracted from fish with a length of more than two meters, of which 300,000 hatched and got baby fishes. Out of these, two hundred thousand have survived.
After presenting the "plaa tanks" formally to the King of Thailand, 20 percent of the surviving young fishes were released into Mekong, and the rest - in other water bodies and rivers of the country.
Many of the issues related to"plaa tank", need to be resolved yet and therefore a type of "large fish club" was established, which does not give attention to studies on European catfish and sturgeon. Sanai Folprozit, who led the artificial breeding project of "plaa tank", and is considered the greatest authority on catfish in Thailand, believes that the distribution area and mode of life of these fish are still not totally understood. He believes that "plaa tank" swim upstream in the tributaries of Mekong, and spawns in the river section between China and Laos. "Then the young fishes - he presumes - float down the river and reach one of the tributaries which is the main feeding place - a large lake in Cambodia, where this catfish is called the "royal fish ".
It is well known, that Mekong River, which has a length of about 4,500 kilometers, and its tributaries flow through China, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam, so regional conflicts, unfortunately, hamper the research. But the Department of Fisheries of Thailand hopes, that due to "plaa tank" they will be able to achieve good relations with their neighbors.
For a long time in Thailand, people talk about the need for a protection law for these fish. This would be the most promising solution. |
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