The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty

by Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience (M-POWER), Unit for Social and Environmental Research (USER) and International Rivers (2011)

Introduction

The documentary film “The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty” is the story of how fish from the Mekong River is caught and sold, cooked and consumed, by the people of the Mekong region. The rich wild capture fisheries of the Mekong River and its ecosystems feed and support not only people living alongside the river, but are crucial for the livelihoods of millions of people across mainland Southeast Asia who trade, sell and cook them.

Caught using a diverse array of nets, baskets and traps, and cooked in many amazing ways, the Mekong River’s wild fish catch provides abundant protein and essential nutrients, such that a healthy Mekong River is central to the region’s food security as well as the local and the regional economies.

Yet the interconnection between the Mekong River’s well-being and the fish on a family’s dinner plate is not always so apparent, especially away from the river.

“The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty” shows the Mekong River’s wild fish being caught and processed, and its passage through networks of trade as people work through the night and day to transport the catch to villages and towns, to markets, homes and restaurants. Through the stories of the people themselves, the documentary reveals the remarkable journey of the wild capture fish from fisher to trader to cook to consumer.

The documentary feature was filmed over a year in over 30 locations across the Mekong region including Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia; the Siphandone (Khone Falls) area of Southern Laos; the Nam Songkhram River in Northeast Thailand, and; the Vietnam Delta region.

A short trailer will be made available on YouTube soon.

“The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty” is produced by Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience (M-POWER), Unit for Social and Environmental Research (USER) and International Rivers.

For inquires and copies of the DVD, please contact Carl Middleton (carl@internationalrivers.org; +66 84 681 5332)

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	Home About Us Themes Major Projects Situation Snapshots Knowledge Bank Get Involved Contact Us Overview Key Reports Our Books Mekong Research Mekong Library Photo Gallery Video Gallery Web Links The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty by Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience (M-POWER), Unit for Social and Environmental Research (USER) and International Rivers (2011) Introduction The documentary film “The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty” is the story of how fish from the Mekong River is caught and sold, cooked and consumed, by the people of the Mekong region. The rich wild capture fisheries of the Mekong River and its ecosystems feed and support not only people living alongside the river, but are crucial for the livelihoods of millions of people across mainland Southeast Asia who trade, sell and cook them. Caught using a diverse array of nets, baskets and traps, and cooked in many amazing ways, the Mekong River’s wild fish catch provides abundant protein and essential nutrients, such that a healthy Mekong River is central to the region’s food security as well as the local and the regional economies. Yet the interconnection between the Mekong River’s well-being and the fish on a family’s dinner plate is not always so apparent, especially away from the river. “The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty” shows the Mekong River’s wild fish being caught and processed, and its passage through networks of trade as people work through the night and day to transport the catch to villages and towns, to markets, homes and restaurants. Through the stories of the people themselves, the documentary reveals the remarkable journey of the wild capture fish from fisher to trader to cook to consumer. The documentary feature was filmed over a year in over 30 locations across the Mekong region including Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia; the Siphandone (Khone Falls) area of Southern Laos; the Nam Songkhram River in Northeast Thailand, and; the Vietnam Delta region. A short trailer will be made available on YouTube soon. “The Mekong: Grounds of Plenty” is produced by Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience (M-POWER), Unit for Social and Environmental Research (USER) and International Rivers. For inquires and copies of the DVD, please contact Carl Middleton (carl@internationalrivers.org; +66 84 681 5332) Back