The effectiveness of conserving the resources of the catfish in Quy Chau.

The Nậm Cướm stream originates from a waterway deep within the core of the Pù Huống Nature Reserve. In the Thai language, Pù Huống means "large mountain." This large mountain range is the general name for a vast area stretching along the border between the districts of Quỳ Hợp, Quỳ Châu, and Tương Dương.

The Nam Cuom stream, with its crystal-clear waters and lush vegetation, is an ideal habitat for various stream fish such as catfish, eels, and loaches. It also serves as a source of water for daily life and irrigation for the thriving rice fields in the Cuom and Chao villages of Dien Lam commune.

This stream served as a communal "pond" for the village, and the aquatic resources were a gift from nature to the households living along it during a time of hardship. However, when local people began using destructive fishing methods such as electric shock and dynamite, the aquatic resources in Nam Cuom were almost completely depleted.

Mr. Lang Van Dong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Dien Lam commune, said: "Given the reality of the depletion of aquatic resources in the streams and creeks, the Party Committee and the commune government recognized the need to conserve the resources of the catfish and other fish species in the Nam Cuom stream. Fortunately, at this time, the people participated in a study tour to a commune in Tuong Duong district - a locality that had developed a project to conserve catfish."

Following that visit, at the end-of-year 2022 People's Council meeting, the project "Conservation and development of the Mat fish resource in Nam Cuom stream associated with community-based ecotourism in Dien Lam commune" was approved and received the support and approval of the commune's People's Council representatives.

Upon implementation, the entire grassroots political system got involved by issuing notices strictly prohibiting the use of toxic chemicals, explosives, electric shocks, and other destructive methods in fishing. The regulations were designed to be a strong deterrent: People from outside the area who fish in Dien Lam commune would be expelled. Local residents who fish illegally would have their equipment confiscated and face administrative penalties.

After a year and a half of construction, a survey revealed, even with the naked eye, numerous schools of catfish swimming in the clear water. Whenever locals and tourist groups visit, simply throwing in a little rice bran will cause schools of fish to surface to eat, much to everyone's delight. The model has attracted many visitors who come to take photos.

Since the beginning of 2024, local authorities and officials from the Cuom village management board have been experimenting with casting nets in sections of the stream. Each catch yields between 1.5 and 2 kg of catfish, snakehead fish, and other species.

The initial effectiveness of the model has shown an effective approach to conserving and developing native aquatic resources in Quy Chau. In the future, Dien Lam commune in particular, and Quy Chau district in general, will continue to expand models for protecting fish stocks in streams, linked with the development of ecotourism.