Imphal: The Manipur government on Thursday announced a project to revive Ngakijou (Guntea Loach), an indigenous and endangered fish species native to the state.
The initiative was announced during the 25th National Fish Farmers’ Day event held in Imphal.
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Director of the Department of Fisheries, T Phulen Meitei, said the revival of Ngakijou is in the pipeline, following the state’s earlier effort to conserve Sareng (Wallago attu), a freshwater catfish that was also once considered nearly extinct in Manipur.
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The Fisheries Department has proposed a three-pronged strategy for conserving Ngakijou. This includes broodstock management, artificial breeding of the species for restocking in natural habitats, and establishing gene banks using cryopreservation techniques.
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Meitei noted that this project will be implemented after the successful completion of the state-sponsored Sareng conservation initiative.
Ngakijou, belonging to the Cobitidae family, was once thought to be extinct or nearly wiped out from Manipur’s natural water bodies. The department is now working with experts to support its revival and promote its farming to strengthen aquaculture in the state.
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Fish remains a significant part of the local diet. Around 97 percent of the population in Manipur consumes fish, with per capita consumption exceeding 11 kilograms per year.
The state currently produces about 34,000 tonnes of fish annually, while the total demand stands at approximately 62,700 tonnes. The gap is filled through fish imports from other states.
The Fisheries Department believes that promoting native species like Ngakijou may help improve local fish production and reduce dependency on imports.