Imphal: 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 Tuesday for in situconservation.
The programme for ranching of Pengba fingerlings in Loktak Lake in phased manner has been carried out under the initiative of Director of ICAR-CIFRI, Dr. B. K. Das. Director of Fisheries, Manipur, H. Balkrisna Singh, 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.
Tuesday’s ranching programme in Loktak Lake was attended by Head, ICAR-CIFRI, Regional Centre, Guwahati, Dr. B. K. Bhattacharjya; Senior Scientist, Dr. Sona Yengkokpam; Scientist, Dr. S.C.S. Das; Scientist, Dr. N.S. Singh; Scientist, ICAR-CIFRI T. Nirupada Chanu and DFO, Bishnupur, K. Dineshwar Singh, among others. About 100 fishers and local leaders of Sendra island participated in the programme.
