|
[Print-friendly version]
 Eleanor Adamson
Faculty of Science, School of Natural Resource Sciences
Thesis Title: The significance of patterns of genetic diversity in snakehead gudgeon fishes (Channa spp.) in the Southeast Asian region.
Research Summary: Over 3 billion tonnes of freshwater fish are harvested from the Lower Mekong Basin every year, representing 30% of total world freshwater fish catches. This provides a significant income source for 70% of the 60 million people who inhabit the Mekong Basin, many of whom are subsistence fishers or farmers. Freshwater fish are also the primary source of protein in mainland Southeast Asia, and as there is no alternative protein source available the sustainability of Mekong fish stocks and security of the Lower Mekong Basin fishing industry is a high priority for regional governments.
Snakehead fishes (Channa species) are of high economic and social importance throughout Southeast Asia and represent a significant proportion of the total freshwater catch. Despite their wide-spread use as a food resource, currently there is no management of Channa fish stocks. Nothing is known about stock structure for any Channa species and confusion exists about taxonomy of species in the genus. The current project will apply a molecular approach to address this taxonomic uncertainty, and will assess stock structure of the two most economically important Channa species, C. micropeltes and C. striata, across their natural distribution in the Southeast Asian region, focusing on Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Data can provide foundations for developing effective stock management practices in the future.
|
