VOA新闻杂志2022--柬埔寨渔民在湄公河捕捉罕见的巨型黄貂鱼

Cambodian Fishermen Catch Rare Giant Stingray in Mekong River

Cambodian fishermen were surprised to discover a rare giant stingray they caught by accident in the Mekong River.

The fishermen caught the endangered fish last week in a deep part of the Mekong in Cambodia's northeastern Stung Treng province. It measured four meters long and weighed about 180 kilograms.

The giant freshwater stingray is one of Southeast Asia's largest and rarest species of fish.

The stingray was caught when it swallowed a smaller fish that had taken a fisherman's hook. An international team of experts worked with the fishermen to unhook the fish. The team then examined the stingray before returning it unharmed to the river.

The experts were from Wonders of the Mekong, a U.S. government-financed organization. The group carries out research activities on the Mekong and shares its results with governments and communities along the river.

The Mekong River is Southeast Asia's longest, passing through China, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. About 60 million people depend on the river for food and survival.

The Mekong is an important environment for numerous species, both large and small. But the leader of Wonders of the Mekong, Zeb Hogan, says the river's underwater ecosystem¹ is poorly understood.

"These are unseen worlds, underappreciated and out of sight," Hogan said in a statement from his employer, the University of Nevada.

Speaking to Reuters, Hogan said the catch was "significant" because it "confirms the existence of these big fish in this stretch of river." However, Hogan added that the faraway area is not well studied and is considered "under threat."

The area could suffer "devastating² ecological³ effects" if proposed hydropower dam projects move forward, the scientific team said in a statement. Other threats include illegal fishing and large collections of plastic waste.

Hogan has been studying biodiversity in the Mekong for more than 20 years. He told Reuters the reduction in population of some freshwater fish in the river was very concerning.

"Historically, this (part) of river produced 200 billion young fish," Hogan said. Then, during the flooding season, the fish were spread "throughout all of Cambodia and even into Vietnam," he added.

Words in This Story

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

hook – n. a curved piece of metal used for hanging things or catching⁴ fish

ecosystem – n. everything that exists in a particular environment

underappreciate – v. to not fully⁵ appreciate something; appreciate: to understand how good something or someone is

significant – adj. important or noticeable

devastating – adj. making someone very shocked and upset

biodiversity – n. the number and kinds of plants and animals that exist in a particular area or in the world generally

1 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

4 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。