Where It All Began...
Mongolia's rivers were once home to thriving populations of taimen, lenok, grayling, and other native species now at serious risk of decline. But over the past several decades, these fish have been disappearing at an alarming rate. According to IUCN assessments, Siberian taimen populations have declined by approximately 50% over the past three generations. Mongolia's 2026 Red List reassessment — the first comprehensive update in nineteen years — identified sixteen threatened fish species across the country. Near urban centers and downstream of mining operations, taimen have virtually disappeared entirely.
The Chuluut River basin in Arkhangai Province became a turning point. Local herders and anglers noticed that the taimen — the world's largest salmonid, a species that once defined these waters — were vanishing. Fewer fish returned each spawning season. Stretches of river that had been abundant for generations fell silent.
In response, a small group of conservationists, scientists, and community members came together with a shared goal: to stop the decline before it became irreversible. Natural Fish Breeding was founded to coordinate conservation efforts across Mongolia's most critical river systems — combining field research, hatchery science, and the knowledge of the people who have lived alongside these rivers for centuries.