Imphal, Jan 1: The All Loktak Lake Areas Fishers Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) has announced that all activities, including the entry of both fisherman and fisher woman at Loktak Lake at night, have been restricted for three months to ensure that migratory birds visiting the lake during the season are remained undisturbed.
Moreover, to grow more fingerlings which has been depleting due to overfishing at the Lake.
The restriction which came into force from Friday (December 30) will continue till the 30th March, 2023, said Heisnam Arunkumar, president, ALLAFUM in a statement.
According to Arun Kumar, the annual restriction at the northeast’s largest freshwater lake has been observed since 2016.
“The winter season is for fingerlings to grow into a more mature fish and that overfishing as a result of fishing all day and all night can lead to very quick depletion of fish population.
Moreover, the migratory birds visits Loktak Lake during this season and it is critical that we do not disturb them particularly at night,” it stated.
We need to save the fish when they are still very small and it is a matter of sustainability if we allow them to grow in more mature fish, it added.
The Union also ban the use of LED Bulb and use of Injao Thaba/Inao Thaba technique (use of small or large sized fishing nets) at night during the restriction period.
Moreover, use of other deadly techniques such as poison and dynamo using batteries at Loktak Lake has been strictly restricted in all seasons.
Arun Kumar further stated that migratory birds from many countries come to visit Loktak during the winter season. The fishers are also the host to these birds who have come from very far places, he added.
“Using LED bulbs at night do disturb their behavior and we must not allow this to happen. To respect them and to ensure that Loktak continues to be migratory bird’s paradise that we must stop using LED during this season. Remember it has potential for huge eco-tourism,” he said.
Further starting that motorised boats are harmful for the aquatic vegetables as well as for fish, the Union expressed hope that all motor boats, both small and big, plying at Loktak Lake must be stop operating except for some essential ones like those plying between Thanga and Karang and for medical emergencies.