Fishermen in delta and Northeast Thailand say dams in China and Laos have hit breeding and yields, forcing many to quit

MEKONG River fishermen have already suffered dramatically from dams and irrigation works, which have decimated fish stocks and undermined livelihoods that supported families for generations.

Nguyen Anh Duy, a 33-year-old, third-generation fisherman from the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, is one of the millions of rural people who rely on the fertility of the river to make a living. However, his occupation as a fisherman who depends on wild-caught fish from the river will be lost in a few years.

"I am a fisherman who has caught fish in the water around here for all my life. My father and my grandfather also did the same job as me. I was born and grew up here," he said about his life.

He and his wife and two children live together within the small confines of his boat.

"The fish have been gradually disappearing over the years. My catch is getting smaller and smaller. In the dry season, most fish are small and hard to catch. But the fish price has gone up every year too," he said.

Despite the higher price, his earnings do not seem to be enough for his family, as he has had to let his parents raise his children.

If the fish still continue to decrease, he may have to change to working in the city.

more Dams 'destroying Mekong fish stock' - The Nation