Fisheries monitoring in the Mekong Basin to assess impacts of mainstream hydropower projects as part of the Mekong River Joint Environment Monitoring (JEM)

Project Summary

The MRC is piloting a Joint Environmental Monitoring (JEM) Program for Mekong mainstream hydropower projects. The program is being undertaken at two existing dams before being extended to all planned dams on the mainstem of the Mekong. During the pilot program’s inception phase, a gap in fish pass monitoring methodology was identified.

This project will test existing guidelines and provide recommendations for sustainable fish pass monitoring methodologies in the Mekong River Basin.

Project Details

Project Period
2020 – 2022

Project Funding
$640,774

Project Location
Lao PDR

This will result in a method for monitoring fish passage in hydropower projects along the Mekong River, which could lead to improvements in the design of the fish passage structures.

It will also provide information to create an understanding of the potential impacts of hydropower projects on fish migration.

Objectives

  1. To develop jointly with the existing JEM team, a proposal for fish passage monitoring including different fish tagging procedures along the Mekong River
  2. To test methodologies and different tagging techniques (including PIT and acoustic tags) for the Don Sahong Hydropower Project to understand implications of these different techniques in the Mekong
  3. To contribute to the finalisation of the MRC JEM Program on fish passage monitoring, based on the lessons learnt at Xayaburi and Don Sahong
  4. To build capacity within LARReC staff and other MRC fisheries counterparts in fish passage monitoring and fish tagging including survival testing, and inputs into a cloud-based fish passage database system.

Team Members

Project Partners

  • Charles Sturt University (CSU)
  • NSW DPI
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ – Germany)
  • International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM)
  • Australian Water partnership (AWP)
  • Mekong River Commission (MRC)
  • National University of Laos (NUoL)
  • Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC – Lao PDR)
  • KarlTek Pty Ltd
  • AusVet International
  • Vemco