Fishing is one of the largest industries in Southeast Asia, yet 80 percent of the region's fishermen operate on a small scale—canoes, motorboats, and small sailboats line the Mekong River and region's coasts. While fishing remains an important tradition as a business, hobby, and way of life, modern development is changing the environment. As areas once suitable for fishing become polluted and fish populations disappear, the future of small-scale fishing is in jeopardy.