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.