More than 200 native rasbora (Rasbora paviana) and fighting fish (Betta splendens) were released in Cau Do canal, a tributary of the Sai Gon River in Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh City in early March.
This is the fifth time Wildlife at Risk (WAR) has released native fishes back into the wild, helping repopulate native fish species and encouraging local people to use native fishes for aquariums. These fishes had been bred under the program titled “Breeding and release native fishes into the wild” partly supported by LIN (Centre for Community Development).
This time, the fishes were released by 20 voluntary students from different universities throughout Ho Chi Minh City. After fish release programme, the students were carefully instructed on how to take care of these types of fish. Many of them received rasbora and fighting fish to raise in their personal aquariums.
“We are pleased to welcome citizens and students of Ho Chi Minh City who visited WAR’s office to learn how to raise native fishes and to receive fish for their aquariums. It shows that using native fish for aquariums is receiving public interest and helping the conservation of these species.”
Wildlife at Risk (WAR) has released more than 750 individuals of rasbora and fighting fishes into different tributaries of Sai Gon River. WAR is now conducting research and captive breeding programmes of other native fish species in order to release them into the wild.
Wildlife at Risk (WAR) is dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of Vietnam by combating the illegal wildlife trade and promoting the conservation of endangered species and their habitats
(CPV)
