The Living Mekong

A collection of photos that documents how the Mekong's seasonal flood pulse shapes daily life in economic, social, and cultural matters ranging from transport and festivals to fish trap design.

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The Living Mekong shows how the Mekong's seasonal rise and fall shapes daily life for the people who live on and around it, in matters from transport to festivals to fish trap design. By world standards, the Mekong fishery is immense in scale, producing around 2.5 million tons of wild fish a year, or roughly two percent of the entire world catch. In numbers of fish species, the Mekong is second only to the Amazon.

This unique collection of photographs takes us beyond the familiar postcard views of the Mekong to sites rarely seen by the public--from secluded natural pools known only to local fishers, to factory floors that package the fillets appearing on restaurant platters all over the world. Aerial images, captured from helicopters, show habitats that are critical to the survival of many species.

The Living Mekong will appeal to everyone with a heart for this mighty river, an eye for a fast-changing way of life, and a mind for the choices the Mekong's people face today. It draws on research about fisheries and the environment by the Mekong River Commission and the World Wide Fund for Nature.