Frog Hunting: A new thriving illegal business
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 01 2014: As a new and throbbing business in Manipur, hunters turned farmers are spending sleepless nights to catch frogs for exporting to neighboring States or eating as meat.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of PFA along with personnel of Imphal west police raided some areas along Dingku Road in Imphal around 4 am today and apprehended 4 female frog hunters/sellers and rescued as many as 523 frogs of Indian Bullfrog species which are listed in schedule 4 of WLPA.

Some of the rescued frogs had already died.

The female frog hunters/sellers identified as Ningombam Dashu of Khongjom Tekcham, Naorem Memcha of Khongjom Tekcham, Thabitha Ningshen of Kamjong but presently staying at Khuman Lampak and Jenni Shimrah of Sanshak but presently staying at Khuman Lampak were handed over to the police station of Imphal West while the frogs were released back to the paddy fields with the permission of DFO Central Division today.

Frog Hunting: A new thriving illegal business

The frog hunters were also fined a sum of Rs 2000 each by the DFO office.

According to a statement issued by PFA Thoubal in connection with today's raid, thousands of frogs are being caught and eaten while thousands are feared to be exported to the neighboring states of Manipur.

Manipur houses numerous exotic flora and fauna, but instead of getting pride and thinking for conserving them, people always seek a way of illegal earning from them.

Moreover, hunting of frogs is a very serious threat to ecosystem.

Feeding on pest, frogs are natural best pest controller.

It is disgusting to think why the farmers killed their friend (frog).

They will protect farmer's crops from pest.

They are also the major foods for various wild birds and animals, thus, over hunting of frogs could lead to extinction of them and other animals, the statement expressed concern.

Uncontrolled pest population will adversely affect our food production.

As a control measure, humans would use more harmful pesticide which will affect not only the human but also the wild animals too.

Vector born diseases spread by fly, mosquito and other insects will be on peak.

This is one of reason why the hill districts of Manipur where frogs are caught and eaten experienced more vector borne diseases.

These benefits of frogs are much greater than the little lose which fish farmers got from them, the PFA statement pointed out.

Frog hunters went in groups on an auto-rikshaw searching for good site.

They accessed mainly on paddy fields where swallow water is spread vastly.

They use torch light which could be worn on the head.

They modified the torch so that large set of battery which runs longer could be used using bamboo tube.

When they flash their light on the water, the eyes of frogs glitter indicating the presence of frogs.

They will chase them and caught by hand with quick hands.

A hunter could harvest about 50 frogs a night, while a group could collect about 500 frogs a day.

A small village which has 3/4 such group could harvest about 40,000 frogs a month if they are lucky enough.

Such groups would hand over their collection to a collector who buys them at 5 to 7 rupees per frog as per their size.

The collectors will then take it to a master collector who will again buy from them a rupee or two higher per frog.

These master collectors will then send the frogs to other hill districts of our state and probably neighboring states where frogs are eaten as delicacy.

They use intercity and interstate buses/ trucks which leave their terminal in the early morning.

Catching at night and transporting at early morning is the main reason why this business is not known, the PFA statement said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the news report in some dailies on the issue of Mongba Hanba or Mahabali forest, PFA has made it clear that it is not standing for or against any religion or religious organizations.

It said PFA just wanted to keep the forest or the sacred grove as it is, while adding that it will not support any kind of construction at the forest area.

It continued saying clearance from Forest Ministry is mandatory for construction at forest area has been stated by the law not by PFA.

Monkeys were displaced due to deforestation and excavation, wildlife experts and forest officials of Manipur also agreed with this fact, it claimed while mentioning that aany local and national papers published the official statement expressed by forest officials.

Saying that PFA have photos of cutting trees at Mongba hanba grove, it said it will never compromise with anyone if it is for welfare of animal and environment.