TY - JOUR
T1 - PIT tagging systems are suitable for assessing cumulative impacts of Mekong River hydropower plants on (upstream) fish migrations in Lao PDR
AU - Robinson, Wayne
AU - Baumgartner, Lee J.
AU - Homsombath, Khampheng
AU - Ning, Nathan
AU - Phommachanh, Khamla
AU - Phommavong, Thonglom
AU - Poomchaivej, Thanasak
AU - Pomorin, Karl
AU - Simmanivong, Dulce
AU - Singhanouvong, Douangkham
AU - Vorasane, Phousone
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/6
Y1 - 2024/6
N2 - The Mekong River has the largest inland fishery in the world but is threatened by planned mainstem hydropower developments that could impact fish migration patterns. Here we provide direct evidence of long-distance migrations along the Mekong mainstem by Hypsibarbus malcomi, one of the 10 most important species in the Mekong River fishery. The migration included a 354 km passage through one current and three proposed hydropower developments. We tagged and released 233 wild fish, including 77 H. malcomi with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT tags) near the capital Vientiane in April of 2022. Five PIT tagged H. malcolmi were detected at the top of the Xayaburi hydropower plant fish ladder within 15 months of being released at Vientiane. Our findings empirically demonstrate that this species undertakes long distance migrations in the main stem of the Mekong and therefore that suitable fish passage facilities will need to be incorporated in mainstem hydropower developments to meet their migratory needs. The findings also demonstrate the value of including a fishery independent and efficient monitoring technology, such as PIT tagging, to assess the migration patterns of fish in the face of upcoming developments in the Lower Mekong Basin.
AB - The Mekong River has the largest inland fishery in the world but is threatened by planned mainstem hydropower developments that could impact fish migration patterns. Here we provide direct evidence of long-distance migrations along the Mekong mainstem by Hypsibarbus malcomi, one of the 10 most important species in the Mekong River fishery. The migration included a 354 km passage through one current and three proposed hydropower developments. We tagged and released 233 wild fish, including 77 H. malcomi with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT tags) near the capital Vientiane in April of 2022. Five PIT tagged H. malcolmi were detected at the top of the Xayaburi hydropower plant fish ladder within 15 months of being released at Vientiane. Our findings empirically demonstrate that this species undertakes long distance migrations in the main stem of the Mekong and therefore that suitable fish passage facilities will need to be incorporated in mainstem hydropower developments to meet their migratory needs. The findings also demonstrate the value of including a fishery independent and efficient monitoring technology, such as PIT tagging, to assess the migration patterns of fish in the face of upcoming developments in the Lower Mekong Basin.
KW - Fish migrations
KW - Fish passage
KW - Hydropower
KW - Mekong River Basin
KW - PIT systems
KW - River infrastructure
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187659861&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85187659861&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.fishres.2024.106995
DO - 10.1016/j.fishres.2024.106995
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85187659861
SN - 0165-7836
VL - 274
SP - 1
EP - 5
JO - Fisheries Research
JF - Fisheries Research
M1 - 106995
ER -