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After a record-breaking Mekong giant
catfish died, residents of Hat Khrai, a Thai village on
the Mekong River, butchered the fish for its meat.
"Mekong people believe it's a sacred fish, because it
persists on plant matter and 'meditates'"—in the deep,
stony pools of the Mekong River—"somewhat like a
Buddhist monk, said Zeb Hogan, a fisheries biologist who
studies the largest freshwater fish in the world. A WWF
conservation fellow and National Geographic Society
Emerging Explorer, Hogan has received funding from the
National Geographic Society Conservation Trust.
Mekong giant catfish attract high prices in Thailand,
because eating the fish is supposed to bring good luck.
Likewise, the Chinese believe that catfish meat boosts
intelligence and prolongs life.
