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A Lao fisherman dives in the rare clear water of the Sahong channel in the Mekong River near Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) in Southern Laos.  The Mekong River basin supports one of the most diverse fish faunas in the world. As of March 1999, 192 fish species had been identified in the Khong District. Many species seasonally migrate long distances up the Mekong River, from as far away as the Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia and the South China Sea in Vietnam. Locals benefit from fishing and irrigation for farm use. Here, communities tend to be self-sufficient, growing most of their own rice, sugar cane, coconut and vegetables, harvesting fish from the river and weaving textiles as needed. According to a local saying, "if people of Si Phan Don want to eat fish, they just make fire and prepare the pot, fish will jump into it."  Up until the early 1960s, fishing practices in Khong were largely traditional, conducted almost entirely for subsistence purposes, with the exception of a small amount for barter trade. However, with the booming economy and development, they are faced with an uncertain future. Today fishing is no more for domestic consumption, as most of the Mekong fish are exported to Thailand where they will fetch a better price. Overfishing and illegal fishing in Laos and Cambodia, as well as dams, navigation projects, and habitat destruction also threaten the numbers of fish. The Mekong capture is still one of the largest in the world with 1.5 million tons caught annually, 16 percent of the world total according to recent studies by the Mekong River Commission.