Dams lead to extinction
Before being officially declared extinct by scientists late last month, the Chinese paddlefish, a native to the Yangtze River system, had been listed along with the Mekong giant catfish as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The extinction of the paddlefish, one of the world’s largest freshwater species, will perhaps serve as a wake-up call to the builders of dams in the Mekong and regional policymakers about the seriousness of the adverse impacts existing and planned hydropower projects can have.
Last seen by researchers in 2003, the Chinese swordfish species, can grow up to 7 metres long and weigh close to 450 kilograms. They have long, silver-grey bodies, very large mouths, and a long, wide snout that resembles a paddle.
