Fisheries Dept to start rearing Ngaton on large scale
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, June 23 2013: With a number of indigenous fishes getting extinct following vanishing natural lakes in the State, the Fishery Department, Government of Manipur has decided to start rearing of indigenous fish 'Ngaton' on large scale.

According to reports received from the Department, a number of indigenous fishes have become extinct from the State while many are on the verge of extinction.

However, the indigenous fish Pengba, which is the State fish and considered to be extinct some time back, is now seen in the market, after the Fishery Department started providing Pengba fingerlings produced through its own hatcheries to the fish farmers of the State.

Apart from Pengba, Ngaton which is another indigenous fish of the State considered to have been almost extinct is also started selling in the market, though in lesser quantity but at high price, reports said.

Reports pointed out that among the indigenous fishes of Manipur which are in high demand include Ngaton and Pengba, and people are buying them from the market at high price.

So, the State Fishery Department has decided to promote rearing of these two indigenous fishes, so that the future generations are enriched with these indigenous fishes.

In the past, when there were a number of lakes in the State, there was abundance of indigenous fishes in the State.

But with many of the natural lakes vanished, the number of indigenous fishes too have gradually become extinct.

Earlier there were 405 lakes in the State but today only Loktak and Pumlen exist among the major important lakes.

Reports further said that imported fishes like Rohu, Grass Carp, Silver Carp, Common Carp, etc have been introduced in the State only recently.

Common Carp was brought in to the State in 1964, Rohu in 1970 and Grass Carp in 1984.But now the fingerlings of this imported fishes are reared in the State itself.

Few fingerlings of Meetei Sareng, which is another favourite indigenous fish of the people of Manipur, are being reared in the hatchery of the Fishery Department.

But since Meetei Sareng is a type of fish which prefers to stay in rivers and eat small fishes, most fish farmers do not rear them.

The indigenous cat fish (Ngakra) has also become almost extinct from the State with the arrival of Ngachik.

Both the type of fishes grows in the same environment.

But as Ngachik is stronger, it kills the weaker type, thus leading to dying out of Ngakra in the State, reports added.

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