TODAY -
PFA intercepts truck with 60 bags of mussels in Keithelmanbi
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 18 2015:
Dealing a hard blow to mass trading of mussels, which is becoming a big threat to the environment; members of People for Animals (PFA), Manipur with the support of Imphal West District Police intercepted 60 bags of hard-shelled river mussel, locally called Kongreng, while being brought in from Cachar district of Assam at Keithelmanbi on January 17 .
Additional SP IW Dr.Sarangthem Ibomcha, OC- in charge P.Surajkumar of New Keithelmanbi post helped the PFA members in the rescue, according to information given by L Biswajeet Meitei, Managing Trustee of PFA Manipur.
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Biswajeet observed that mussels are food of Manipuris but unsustainable consumption and mass trading needs to be controlled as mussels play a very big role in the ecosystem.
"They play major role in cleaning of water bodies like rivers.
The filter feeding process automatically filters the water.
They suck water and pump out through another hole filtering microorganisms, sand, dust or other pollutants.
One adult mussel could filter about 4 litres of water in an hour.
Approximate number of mussels which were rescued yesterday was about 1 lakh.
And this number could filter about 80 million litres of water a day," he explained.
Biswajeet further observed that most of the rivers running in Manipur are now absent of mussels due to over harvesting and pollution.
Thus, water in the rivers of Manipur is becoming polluted.
To meet the increasing demands of public, traders import mussels from neighboring states.
A jute bag cost about 600 to 700 rupees after reaching Imphal.
The mussels were collected from Icha river of Cachar.
housands and thousands were caught a day.
This practice will definitely give adverse effect to the environment.
This species of mussel is accessed as "Endangered" under red list of threatened species of IUCN.
Biswajeet appealed to the people to stop over harvesting and mass trading of mussel from natural sources.
"For consumption, we could breed mussels in farm like in other Southeast Asian countries," Bishwajeet said, while informing that the seized mussels will be relocated at suitable water bodies with the advice of CWW and steps will be taken up to conserve mussels.
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