Although the Manipur government had drawn up an ambitious plan for captive breeding of Sareng (Wallagu Attu) with even a provision for 50 pc grant to local fish farmers seeking loans for production of Sareng, one must remember that it would not be tasty as the fabled Meitei Sareng of yore. What we know as Meitei Sareng breeds and flourishes mostly in our riverine systems. Another peculiarity of Sareng and its breed is that it is carnivorous and predatory. Stocking them in the pond with other fish varieties is not advisable, as it feeds on them. We all know that, fish produced in captive pens or farms cannot match the taste of those caught in the wild from rivers and hill streams. Same is the case of Meitei Sareng found in our rivers long time ago.
The real Meitei Sareng is now facing extinction but it is available occasionally although the price is very high and one buys it out of necessity for ritual events or if one can afford it. The imported Sareng variety comes mostly the state of Andhra Pradesh. It comes in ice-boxes and sometimes there is talk of formalin being used to keep the fish fresh. It is the same with other imported fish varieties. In the case of Rohu and other Indian Carps, the local production is always tastier than the imported ones.
Before the construction of Ithai barrage, minor carps besides Pengba used to migrate from Chindwin-Irrawaddy river system of Myanmar to Manipur River and Loktak Lake upstream for breeding and spawning. And as such, new varieties mainly Indian carp varieties including Grass Carp came into the picture. These newly introduced fish varieties are also prolific breeders, expanding their population significantly while the population of native fish was not able to compete with the new arrivals. Such is the condition that native species are fighting a losing battle in their own habitat, and now the lake is dominated by the exotic breeds.
We all know that fish is a staple diet among the valley population. Yet, Manipuris are also very choosy in terms of the kind of fish they like to eat. It was not by choice that they are now eating the Indian carps whether imported or locally produced, but because indigenous fish varieties have become extremely scarce. Indigenous varieties like Pengba, Ngaton and Khabak have completely disappeared from the riverine system of Manipur and Loktak Lake. What caused these indigenous fish varieties to disappear?
Scientists at Manipur University and Zoological Survey of India blame changes in the hydrology due to the construction of dams, blockage of migratory routes, drying up of wetlands from siltation, eutrophication and water quality deterioration, and overexploitation for declining indigenous fish diversity in the lake. Here in the state, the culprit is the infamous Ithai Barrage. It was constructed in 1983 to elevate the water level of the Loktak Lake for the Loktak Hydroelectric Project.
But it led to the destruction of this unique wetland ecosystem and vanishing of indigenous fish varieties. As many as 16 species of indigenous fish are believed to have become extinct due to the blocking of water by the Ithai barrage. For example, Pengba is the state fish of Manipur and is reported to be regionally extinct in the wild due to obstruction of its migratory route from Myanmar on account of the Ithai barrage. Some entrepreneurs have started captive breeding of these delicacies in fish farms and it is reaching the market during Cheiraoba or Ningol Chakkouba festivals. The high demand among the local population during feasts and festivals led to captive breeding of Sareng in some fish farms, besides other local varieties which had vanished from the rivers and lakes of the state.
(The views expressed are personal)
