KAMPONG CHHNANG: A local fisherman in Kampong Chhnang received a letter of commendation from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries after he caught and released a giant barb, Cambodia’s national fish.

Chheng Khea is a resident of Krang Pdel Village who caught an 8.5 kg (nearly 19 lb) Giant Mekong Barb in the Tonle Sap River on Monday. Among the largest freshwater fish in the world, this particular one measured about .6 meters (nearly 2ft). The fisherman released the giant barb (a type of carp) back to its home, which the Fisheries Administration called an invaluable contribution to the care, protection and conservation of the endangered species.

The Fisheries Administration has called on fishermen to follow Khea’s example by taking care of endangered species so that they can survive for the next generation to experience.

Depictions of the giant barb are carved into the temples of Angkor Wat, showing the Khmer ancestral ties to the fish. The species can weigh between 150 to 300 kg (660 lb) and measure as long as three meters (9.8ft). Under the right conditions, it can live as long as 60 years and lay 600,000 to 800,000 eggs at a time.

The Giant Mekong Barb is considered the national fish of Cambodia and it is illegal to fish, trade and transport the species.