Fishermen catch 646-pound catfish

[wahoo24jc]

That's a big fish.

[L3thal Veteran]

Thai fishermen netted a catfish as big as a grizzly bear, setting a world record for the largest freshwater fish ever found, according to researchers who studied the 646-pound Mekong giant catfish as part of a project to protect large freshwater fish.

?It?s amazing to think that giants like this still swim in some of the world?s rivers,? project leader Zeb Hogan project leader said in a statement. ?We?ve now confirmed now that this catfish is the current record holder, an astonishing find.?

?I?m thrilled that we?ve set a new record, but we need to put this discovery in context: these giant fish are uniformly poorly studied and some are critically endangered," added Hogan, a fellow with the World Wildlife Fund, which is partnering with the National Geographic Society. "Some, like the Mekong giant catfish, face extinction.?

'Largest fish species disappearing'

Hogan said his study of giant freshwater fish "is showing a clear and global pattern: the largest fish species are disappearing.

"The challenge is clear," he added, "we must find methods to protect these species and their habitats.  By acting now, we can save animals like the Mekong giant catfish from extinction.?

Hogan's project includes two-dozen other species, including the giant freshwater stingray, the dog-eating catfish, the dinosaur-like arapaima, and the Chinese paddlefish ? "all of which remain contenders for the title of the world?s largest fish," the researchers stated, pending the final results of their work.

"Long shots for the title include caviar-producing sturgeon, goliath Amazon catfish, giant lungfish, razor-toothed gars, massive cods, and Mongolian salmon," they added.

Didn't survive capture

The Mekong giant catfish was caught and eaten in a remote village in Thailand along the Mekong River, home to more species of giant fish than any other river in the world, the researchers said.

Local environmentalists and government officials had negotiated to release the fish so it could continue its spawning migration in the far north of Thailand, near the borders of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and China, but the adult male later died.

The researchers said the Mekong giant catfish is declining as a species due to habitat destruction and upstream dams.

The Mekong River Basin is home to more species of massive fish than any river on Earth, they added, and Mekong fish are the primary source of protein for the 73 million people that live along the river.

Source

[jerry]

Woah :blink:

[vincent]

holy **** :omg:

[xe9rox]

That's a big fish.

586138859[/snapback]

oh, sherlock holmes :rofl:

wonder how they dragged the fish in?

"Hey, Wu, seems i've got something big on the line--- WOOSH, out of the boat :ninja:

[Coffeee]

holy **** :omg:

586138867[/snapback]

Dayum! :blink:

[xxdesmus]

oh my good god :blink:

[protoss_chaos]

I've caught bigger

j/k

[Rob2687]

Just like the movie "Big Fish" :p

[Wiser87]

Rofl!

Didn't survive capture

The Mekong giant catfish was caught and eaten in a remote village in Thailand along the Mekong River, home to more species of giant fish than any other river in the world, the researchers said.

I want to see the fish that could survive that! :rofl:

[DarkCircuit]

Is that a Goldfish?

[xe9rox]

yes, but they forgot to ask it for 3 wishes be4 eating it

[Doli]

Is that a Goldfish?

586138936[/snapback]

come on now.

Title: Fishermen catch 646-pound catfish

says that in the title and in the first post, what did you do just scroll for a picture

[Brandon]

How does one even catch a beast like that?

[emo]

damn, NOW THATS A BIG *****!

[sanctified Veteran]

So I think this time snopes got owned! :p

[blik]

Damn, that fish is big :omg:

[Azadre]

Maybe that fish holds some clues for the quest in finding longevity.

[IceDogg]

And I'm always bragging about the 30 lb Catfish I caught as a boy. Geez! Nice find!

[L3thal Veteran]

And I'm always bragging about the 30 lb Catfish I caught as a boy. Geez!  Nice find!

586140089[/snapback]

:laugh:

That fish can feed half of Haiti.

[Hupp]

holy god...that is awesome! :cool:

[iKap]

damn... that fish is kinda big.

[Premgenius]

:blink: YIKES.....

[d3nuo]

now thats a big fish! that'd be some good eatin for like an entire year :)

[Nocstar]

Now how the hell do you reel something like that in! haha..