Local traditional fishing culture in Loktak lake

M Asnikumar Singh *

Fishermen fishing at Loktak lake in February 02 2015 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Loktak Lake serves as a generating force for bio energy of the region particularly in the state of Manipur. It regulates the climatic conditions and also catalyses different ethos, cultural fabrics in the area.

In a sense the Loktak itself is a generator of all kinds of cultural and ethnic endemicity for the people of Manipur particularly the fishing community in and around the periphery of the lake. Of which it may be cited one of the best and remarkable points is technique of Phum Namba which is still in vogue for the livelihood of the region.

The term Phum Namba is known in the region since the time immemorial.

It may be describe as follows:
The people of the region particularly fishing community and the community of the Thanga island and people of the peripheral area of the Loktak lake.
They are practising this technique basically the fishing community cultivating water weed in the form of circular as well as semi-circular just at the water level of Loktak.
This particular Phum Namba will be preserved for about a year. During that period the local indigenous fishing were sanitating in and around the Phum.

It also reported that fishing community are feeding different local nutrient to the area for every day. These nutrients mainly made from the rice husking powder and some other aquatic vegetables.

So as in and around the Phum will always concentrated inside the core of the planted Phum , all these Phums will be harvested during the lean season of the year particularly starting from October to March.

This type of harvesting is known as Phum Namba . It is also reported that there are more than 1000 floating Phum hut dwellers. Their basis cultivation is the cultivation of Phum and to above, ie Phum Namba for their livelihood.

There are other techniques of fishing other than Phum Namba techniques are namely:
1. Trapping by net ( Lang Thakpa)
2. Bamboo Trap ( Lu Thumba)
3. Pulling of Fishing Net (In Chingba)
4. Ancling and Longthinba

After implementing of the Loktak National Hydro Electric project the traditional practice of Phum Namba is seriously affected to the whole of the fishing community.

Sometimes the fishing community cannot practice their traditional technique. Before the implementation of the Loktak National Hydro Electric Project and the commissioning of Ithai Barrage there are two difference seasons of fishing to all the surrounding of fishing areas;
viz one on the arising of the Loktak level and another in the following of the Loktak water level and another in the following of the Loktak water level during the lean seasons.

Now because of the above mentioned project, the lake water level is high all the year round. Hence the two seasons or fishing in the region has already been spoiled in an unreplaceable condition: over and above most of endemic plants of Loktak has also been endangered seriously.

Correspondingly the species of endemic fishes/species of the lake are diminishing. There are innumerable Phums preserved by the fishing community.

Anyone who visits Loktak will be able to see the Phum and floating hut dwellers. However, all these techniques are not fishable and also suitable in the changing circumstances.

Hence it is necessary to take up a serious action for occupational rehabilitation of the fishing community, providing all kinds of infrastructural and technological know-how to combat the changing circumstances.