ACCORDING to the Research and Development Division of the Department of Fisheries, a total of 35 new fish species were recorded in Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar’s largest lake — a home to over 80 species of amphibians and reptiles and more than 90 species of fish — and its surrounding creek areas in January 2025.
“Since the establishment of the sanctuary, amphibian and reptile species have been systematically observed and recorded in Indawgyi Lake and its surrounding areas. New species are also being tracked and documented. The total number of fish species is now 100. We are conducting community-based fish conservation activities with the help of local people to continue identifying new fish species and preventing the extinction of currently recorded fish species,” said an official from the department.
The department is also working to conserve endangered Myanmar freshwater fish species. It is conducting extensive research along rivers and lakes where these fish breed and migrate in groups, and plans will be developed to protect and conserve these areas.
Indawgyi Lake in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State, is the largest freshwater lake in Myanmar and Southeast Asia’s third largest. The lake spans 314.67 square miles, measuring 14 miles north to south and seven miles east to west, and is located 700 feet above sea level. — ASH/TH
