Angler catches engangered 6ft-long catfish in Thailand

An angler was delighted when he reeled in an enormous 6ft giant catfish from a lake in Thailand.The farmer named Somchai Boontong was competing in a fishing fundraiser when he felt a powerful tug on his line in Udon Thani province on August 21 He battled to pull the massive creature, believed to be a Mekong giant catfish, onto shore and was shocked by its sheer size, measuring around 6ft long and a whopping 660 lbs.Fish merchants jockeyed to buy the lake leviathan from the fisherman, as its flesh would fetch around 100 to 120 THB (2.9 to 3.4 USD) per kilogram.However, the local decided to sell it to the fundraiser team, which bought the gargantuan fish for 20,000 THB (572 USD) and released it back into its natural habitat.The local fisheries office assisted in transporting the catfish to a pond at the Wat Nong Ruea Klon temple. Staff monitored it for an hour to ensure it was properly adjusting to its new environment.The fishing activity was launched by the Uthai Thani Royal Irrigation Project to expand the Kaem Ling water storage area and raise money for schools, hospitals, and local fisheries.The Mekong giant catfish is listed as 'critically endangered' under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Overfishing, habitat loss, and damming of the Mekong River have been cited as threats to its population.