China’s dams on Mekong River take toll on fish in neighboring countries

Chiang Rai, Thailand – Fishermen, farmers, and residents around the Mekong River in the Chiang Rai Province have expressed dissatisfaction and dismay at the adverse effects caused by China’s eleven dams on the river.

They have explained that the dams have disrupted the river and changed its nature, as they said the river would now tend to be more coercive and harsher on the wildlife.

The irregularities in the flow of the river have taken their toll on fish, as they cannot spawn since the river has become unpredictable and the wet season can no longer be relied on.

The Chiang Khong Conservation Group said the local communities have urged authorities to tackle the issue; stakeholders, however, seem reluctant to take action to address the issue, adding that those responsible for the dams would say the problems are not caused by the dams.

Roykaew explained that fish can only breed in rainy seasons when the river waters rise and flow into the tributaries; However, in the past years, many fish have not been able to go to the tributaries to spawn because the water is held up by dams upstream causing some species to decline.

“To release or hold water in the dams in China, they have to do it to benefit themselves. Dams are built to produce electricity. So, they hold water in the rainy seasons to produce electricity in the dry seasons,” Niwat Roykaew, founder of the Rak Chiang Khong Conservation Group said.

Many fishermen have been forced to change their careers after losses they bore from fishing, spending the whole day without fishing or catching less than one kilogram. They also can no longer afford petroleum.

“Before China built the dams, there were 70-80 fishing boats taking a turn to fish as there are fishermen from our village and North Pa-Ing Village, but we don’t fish nowadays,” one fisherman from Chiang Rai Province said.

Chinese dams have caused cumulative effects and damage to people over the past 20 years.