INDIGENOUS TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE OF PHOOM FISH CULTURE A FISH AGGREGATING DEVICE IN LOKTAK LAKE MANIPUR

The state Manipur, situated on the North-eastern boundary of India, is rich in fisheries resources. Loktak Lake of Manipur is the largest freshwater water lake in the entire Northeast India and is providing livelihood to many fishers. Furthermore, in this lake, the indigenously designed and low-cost Fish Aggregating Device (FAD), locally known as athaphoom, is premeditated from the natural floating islands of aquatic plants, collectively known as phoomdhi.Such athaphooms are the  most popular traditional method of fishing in that lake.  Therefore, in this study, an effort was made to document the construction and the practice of such FAD by the local fishers. Further, the usage of the waste coming out of these FAD was also documented. Accordingly, it is recommended that, if such indigenously designed FAD is appropriately regulated and if its waste is properly recycled, they can provide livelihood opportunities to many underprivileged fishers. Moreover, it is also suggested that such FADs can also be modified to "cage-culture" of ornamental fishes.