45 Minutes

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The great Lancang-Mekong River has probably the greatest variety of fresh-water fish species of any river in the world, and this has naturally shaped the lives and characters of the strong, hard-working people that live in the countries along its course. The abundant fresh-water produce is harvested using a variety of means and techniques, and although today fishing may not be the most profitable way to earn a living, it still remains an important way of life.

However, those in the countries in the Sub-region who rely on fishing are facing a common difficulty, one which different nations are tackling with different approaches: fisherman Huang Liuqi on the Lijiang River, Guangxi, China, has developed a tourism business;Tran Thanh Hung in An Giang, Vietnam, has begun a fish farming venture on the Mekong River, while Cambodian fisherman Nhim Kimly’s family has confidently begun a new fishing season.

In part 3 in this series we will take a look at the lives of fishermen in the different countries nourished by the Lancang-Mekong River.