We are excited to announce a US$38,540 grant to the Mongolian Taimen Conservation Fund and Mongolian-based fly-fishing guides and staff affiliated with Sweetwater Travel. This grant supports the Riverkeepers who monitor, conserve, and protect waters in the Mongolian Eg-Ur watershed, and the Mongolian fly-fishing staff who help to create memorable experiences for visiting anglers. These are groups that have been hard hit by COVID-19 travel restrictions, and we sincerely hope that this grant will help the people involved in this remote part of the world to get through the current economic crisis, while preserving another unique fishery.
Special thanks the Fly Water Travel team, the extended Far Bank family (Sage Fly Fishing, Redington and RIO PRODUCTS) and Sweetwater Travel Company for helping us to identify and deliver this grant.
While the fishing season in this corner of the planet typically operates from the last week of August through the first week of October, conservation efforts to protect the resident Taimen are a full-time proposition. From ice fishing in the winter to spearing in the spring, Taimen are under constant pressure. Using revenues from travelers and visiting anglers, the Taimen Conservation Fund hires Riverkeepers (wardens) to police the river. Their valuable presence helps keep poaching down and the fish population intact. Sadly, a complete loss of tourism related revenue in 2020 made it impossible to pay the Riverkeepers and the Mongolian fly-fishing staff from June 2020 onward. This has catalyzed a severe economic struggle for staff and their families. It has also impacted Taimen populations as poaching is more difficult to curb with Riverkeepers going unpaid.
All Photos courtesy of Livingston, MT based Sweetwater Travel
