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Vietnam Nature Reserve Reveals Another "New" Species

sunset August 7th, 1997

HANOI, Vietnam -- A Vietnamese scientist has found a new fish species in the Vu Quang Nature Reserve while on a three-week mission organized by WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature and Ha Tinh Province.

This is the second time that Dr Nguyen Thai Tu has found a fish species new to science in Vu Quang. In 1992 he discovered a river carp -- the Parazacco vuquangensis -- during a survey with scientists from WWF and Vietnam's then Ministry of Forestry. That survey also yielded the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis).

"Vu Quang continues to amaze the world with its natural wealth," said Frank Noij, WWF Vu Quang Technical Adviser. "This latest find underlines the urgent need for its conservation."

The new fish belongs to the Crossocheilus genus, and will add to the 62 freshwater fish species recorded so far in Vu Quang. Vietnam has a total of about 500 freshwater fish species.

"The scales of the fish are different from the other known Crossocheilus species,"said Dr Tu, who is preparing a scientific paper describing the fish in greater detail. "They are more rounded and bigger." Dr Tu, who is also the National Northern Truong Son Biodiversity Project Chairman, has been discovering fish species new to science since 1983 when he found the Cobitis yeni, a type of loach. In 1987, he discovered two carp species -- Opsarichthys hieni and Opsarichthys bea. All the finds were made in Vietnam.

The fish measures between 20-25cm and weighs about 1.5kg. It has a golden stripe on its back and a silver stripe on its belly. It appears to be abundant as within 15 minutes Dr Tu caught 18 specimens. The local Kinh people who catch the fish for food call it Co.

WWF and Ha Tinh Province's Forestry Department launched the Vu Quang Conservation Project last year, to provide a balance between conservation and development. The Netherlands Government-funded, five-year project recognizes that protecting the reserve also means addressing the needs of the 30,000 people living in and around the reserve.

"Our major concern is to guard against overexploitation of the reserve's resources," said Mr Pham Van Ngoan, Vu Quang Nature Reserve Director. "We have to create job opportunities and develop economic alternatives to resource exploitation as these are key to conserving Vu Quang."

Northern Vietnam's Vu Quang Reserve has one of the country's richest and most pristine forests. Scientists have described the reserve as a "lost world seemingly untouched by the war", and possibly teeming with new species. Two years after discovering the saola, scientists found the giant muntjac (Megamuntiacus vuquangensis). Since the scientific discovery of the saola, the Vietnamese Government has enlarged the reserve from 16,000ha to almost 60,000ha, and imposed logging and hunting bans. WWF has been helping to protect the reserve by setting up guard posts, training protection staff, and promoting conservation awareness among the local communities. It has also helped develop a management plan for the reserve.

For more information and/or pictures, contact David Hulse at Hanoi +84-4 822 0640.