Arunachal clan launches drive to conserve endangered ray-finned fish, sustain tradition

GUWAHATI

A clan in Arunachal Pradesh has launched an initiative to conserve a Himalayan ray-finned fish with a dual purpose: to protect it from the predatory mahseer and to make traditional community fishing sustainable in the long run.

Often referred to as the ‘tiger of the water’ in Himalayan and sub-Himalayan rivers, the mahseer is a prized sport fish among anglers.

On June 28, nine members of the Sangno clan collected 52 fingerlings of Schizothorax pelzami, commonly known as the Transcaspian marinka, from the Lapabung stream at Talo village under the Bameng administrative circle. They released the fingerlings in the Richaso stream at Weshi, their village under the Pakoti administrative circle.

The two villages, about 20 km apart and at an average elevation of 3,400 feet above sea level, are located in East Kameng district.

“We introduced the ray-finned fish of the carp family, called Ngarsing in our Nyishi language, into a stretch of the Richaso stream inaccessible to the mahseer. This increases the chances of their survival and breeding,” Amar Sangno, one of the team members, told The Hindu on Wednesday.

Community fishing

He said introducing the endangered ray-finned fish into the stream was a long-felt need for the Sangno clan to ensure the sustainability of community fishing, a tribal tradition.

After the translocation mission was completed, village headman Gajali Sangno suggested a blanket ban on fishing in Richaso for five years to ensure that the ray-finned fish reach a population size sufficient for the resumption of periodic community fishing. He said the village’s long-term goals also include eco-angling and stream-trail trekking.