Status of Aquaculture and Fisheries in Manipur
- Part 3 -

By:- Ajit Kumar Ng *

7. Fishing methods and gears

Several types of fishing gears are used in the State. The main fishing gears include gill nets (mesh size ranging from 15 mm - 140 mm), multi-pronged spear, dip nets, lift nets, cast nets, scoop nets, hooks and gorges, traps, drive in nets etc.

Among all the fishing gears, gill nets are in the traditional fishing craft. There are about 2,800 canoes being used for fishing and navigation purposes in Loktak lake.

Two primitive types of fishing craft made from the trees such as Artocarpus chaplasa, Cedrella tuna and Phoebe spp. are used in Loktak lake. These are either Dug out canoe made from a single log or Canoe made from jointed planks. These canoes lack stability during rough whether conditions. Very little modernization has taken place in the traditionalfishingcraft.

Different fishing methods are being practised in the State. Most of the fishing methods are more or less similar to the general technique practised in other places, although there are slight modifications from the common technique to suit the local condition.

Important fishing methods are groping / hand picking, stranding, fishing with wounding gears, line fishing, fishing with traps, fishing with nets, fishing with stupefying devices etc.

Phum fishing, which is very extensively practised in Loktak Lake, is a characteristic feature of Loktak lake. Number of Athaphums (Phum circles for fishing purpose) has increased considerably after the construction of Ithai barrage. As per remote sensing imageries, the number of Athaphums has increased from 217 in 1990 to 3019 in February 1999.

At present, there are about 3200 phum circles in Loktak lake covering an area of about 10.5 Sq. Kms. Moreover, isolated and abandoned cut pieces of phumdi proliferate faster than thick phumdis. Fish production from athaphum (Phum) contributes to about 39% of total capture fishery yield of the lake (558 mt).

8. Constraints to development of fishery sector in Manipur There are several constraints to development of fishery sector. Some of the major constraints are as follows:

• Inflow of organic chlorine pesticides and chemical fertilizers used in the agriculture practice in and around the lakes, rivers, ponds, bheels, etc. has resulted in the decline of natural stocks of several species of fish.
• No observable efforts are being made by the government agencies to reclaim the water bodies or to attempt fresh stocking of seed in rivers and other water bodies.
• Over exploitation and indiscriminate fishing are also the causes for poor fish production.
• Fast growth of aquatic weeds like water hyacinth and other weeds in most of the water bodies and heavy siltation year after year have destroyed the ecology and affected fish production to a great extent.
• Poisoning and poaching, a common problem faced by the farmers

• The existing derelict water bodies like bheels, lakes, ponds, etc. should be cleaned and reclaimed to create effective area for fish cultivation and this would require massive investment.
• Taking up of private fishery on commercial line should be encouraged. Of late, people have shown a lot of interest in fish farming in the backyard of homestead. Given necessary infrastructure, fishery would turn out to be a very profitable business since there is market for the product.
• A serious limitation in fishery sector is very poor database. Efforts should be made so that a detail and reliable data on various parameters on fishery is maintained at block level.
• Establishment of Pen culture in Loktak Lake and other weed-choked lakes (2 tonnes/ ha/ year).
• An integrated rice-fish system must be practised to sustain the farm income and provide necessary household nutritional security.
• Appropriate policy intervention is necessary from respective state governments to impress upon the leaseholder so that they not only exploit the harvest but also maintain and manage the water bodies and rivers.
• Establishment of Carp polyculture (2.5 tonnes/ ha/ year).
• Fishery extension service should be revamped and strengthened so that technology available can be properly disseminated to farmers.
• Establishment of Culture-based fisheries in pats (1 tonne/ha/year).
• Production of fish seed especially to meet the demand of private fish farmers should be taken up in each circle headquarters.
• The rivers and other bodies should be adequately stocked with fish seed to augment fish production and conserve valuable fish species.
• There is scope to develop sizeable area from cultivable wasteland and part of which could be brought under fish farming. This would require investment on reclamation and development.
• Introduction of eco-friendly pen and cage culture.