‘Death spiral’: Mekong River megafish have shrunk by half, study reveals

<p>Fish once as large as grizzly bears have become far smaller in recent years due to overfishing, dams and climate crisis</p><p>The size of megafish in the Mekong River has shrunk alarmingly in recent years owing to overfishing, a study has found. The length of the largest and most endangered freshwater giants, some as big as grizzly bears, decreased by 40% in seven years.</p><p>Some fish, like the Mekong giant catfish, have been studied for over a longer period and show a decline in weight of 55% in the past 25 years, dropping from an average of 180kg (397lb) to 80kg.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/11/mekong-river-megafish-shrunk-by-half-study-overfishing-dams-climate-crisis">Continue reading...</a>