On September 26, NHI and the National University of Lao brought together the world’s leading experts on the migratory fishery of the Xe Kong river basin, which is the last major free-flowing segment of the entire Mekong River Basin. As such, it is of superlative value for propagation of migratory fish stocks on which both the nation of Lao PDR and the rest of the basin relies for food security. It is essential to understand, to the extent the data permit, how this fishery functions and how it would be affected by the seven hydropower dams that are proposed for the Xe Kong mainstream. This is part of the effort of the NHI team to craft a sustainable alternative hydropower development master plan for the Xe Kong, in consultation with the government of Lao PDR.
