Storm destroys pen and cage culture units
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, April 24 2023:
The violent storm on April 20 midnight has reportedly caused severe damage to various Cage and Pen Culture grow-out units installed at Loktak Lake under the Loktak Livelihood Mission.
In a statement, Directorate of Fisheries informed that it had installed 20 units of Cage culture and 36 units of Pen culture grow outs inside the Loktak Lake, Takmu Lake and at the periphery of Loktak Lake during the last two years.
The eco-friendly fishery units benefitted hundreds of households at Loktak Lake by providing employment and generat ing income, the statement informed, adding that, the Loktak Livelihood Mission, a state sponsored scheme is an ambitious project undertaken by the Department of Fisheries under the initiative of the Chief Minister.
Informing that the affected marginal fish farmers are mostly from Thanga Salam Leikai, Khunjem Leikai and Ningthoukhong, the Directorate said that the fish farmers were shocked to witness devastation caused to the fishery by the storm.
Several fish species such as grass carp, mrigal, rohu, silver, etc., cultivated in different cage and pen units in the fresh water of the Loktak Lake have escaped, the statement maintained.
While informing that the affected fish farmers have urged the government for assistance, it said that the Director of Fisheries and the District Fishery Officer, Bishnupur have assessed the extent of damage and assured of extending all possible financial and physical help in re-construction of the damaged fishery units at the earliest.