By Our Special Correspondent
Cambodian villagers on the Mekong River have caught what researchers say is the largest freshwater fish in the world, a stingray weighing 300kg (661 lb) and carrying nearly a dozen people ashore.
Kristen Borami - meaning "full moon" in Khmer - due to her bulging shape, the four-meter (13-foot) long female was released back into the river after being electronically tagged to allow scientists to monitor her movement and behavior.
"This is very exciting news because it is the largest fish in the world," said biologist Jeb Hogan, a former host of the "Monster Fish" show on the National Geographic Channel and now part of a conservation project on the river.
"This is also exciting news, because it means that your kang's stretch is still healthy .... a sign of hope that these huge fish are still alive (here)." Borami set a trap last week on the island of Ko Prih, along the northern Cambodian Stretch. The river holds the record for the largest catfish caught in upstream in northern Thailand in 2005 at 293 kg. The Mekong has the third most diverse fish population in the world, according to its River Commission, despite overfishing; Reserves have been depleted due to pollution, saltwater intrusion and sedimentation.
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