New species, old threats to Mekong wildlife - WWF
VIETNAM: From a devilish-looking bat to a frog that sings like a
bird, scientists have identified 126 new species in the Greater Mekong
area, the WWF said Tuesday in a new report detailing discoveries in
2011.
But from forest loss to the construction of major hydropower projects
on the Mekong River, existing threats to the region's biodiversity mean
many of the new species are already struggling to survive, the
conservation group warned.
"The good news is new discoveries. The bad news is that it is getting
harder and harder in the world of conservation and environmental
sustainability," Nick Cox, manager of WWF-Greater Mekong's Species
Programme, told AFP.
Some 126 species were newly recorded last year in the Greater Mekong
region, which consists of Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and
the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan.
Some, such as the Beelzebub tube-nosed bat discovered in Vietnam,
depend on tropical forests for survival and so are especially vulnerable
to deforestation.
In just four decades, 30 percent of the Greater Mekong's forests have
disappeared, the report says.
Others, such as a short-tailed python species found in Myanmar are
more at risk from illegal hunting for meat, skins, and the exotic pet
trade, the report said.
"Poaching for the illegal wildlife trade poses one of the greatest
threats to the existence of many species across Southeast Asia," Cox
said in a statement accompanying the report.
The list, dominated by plants, included 21 reptiles and five
amphibians, such as a frog that sings and another that has black and
white eye patterns that look like yin and yang symbols.
The WWF said that while the number of new species discovered was
testament to the region's astounding biodiversity, there had been some
"worrying developments" that posed a threat to their future. WWF singled
out Laos' determination to construct the Xayaburi dam on the main stream
of the Mekong River as a significant threat to the river's
"extraordinary biodiversity" and the livelihoods of more than 60 million
people.
"The Mekong River supports levels of aquatic biodiversity second only
to the Amazon River," according to Cox.
"The Xayaburi dam would prove an impassable barrier for many fish
species, signalling the demise for wildlife already known and as yet
undiscovered," he added.
The Mekong River supports around 850 fish species and the world's
most intensive inland fishery, the report said.
AFP
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