Pengba fingerings released in Loktak lake

Imphal,p:  As a part of the ICAR-CIFRI’s flagship programme ranching, officials of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) in association with the state fisheries department have released around 20,000 fingerlings of Manipur state fish, ‘Pengba’ (Osteobrama Belangeri) at Sendra island along the Loktak Lake on Tuesday for in situ conservation.

The programme for ranching of Pengba fingerlings in Loktak Lake in phased manner has been carried out under the initiative of Dr B. K. Das, director of ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore, West Bengal. H. Balkrisna Singh, director of fisheries, Manipur led the officials during the ranching programme.

Pengba is a near threatened indigenous medium carp endemic to Manipur. The state fish species was the major seasonal fish in the State contributing around 40% of the natural fishery some decades back. In the recent past, the population of Pengba declined significantly in the lake and declared ‘extict in wild’ as per IUCN Red list though some progressive fish farmers have cultivated it as captive farming. As a step towards rejuvenation of the depleted stock of Pengba in its natural and original habitat, the ranching programme was taken up by the CIFRI and state fisheries department and subsequent ranching programmes are also in the pipeline in coming months.

About 100 fishers and local leaders of Sendra island amid officials participated the programme.