The
rice field (Aji) can be utilized for fish culture in the following
two ways.Fishes can be reared from the month of April to September
when the paddy crops grow in the field. At present it is being
practised at Ziro .The fish culture can also be taken up from
the month of November to February after harvesting of paddy
crops is completed and transplantation for the next season begins.The
culture of fishes in paddy fields, which remain flooded even
after the paddy is harvested, may also serves as an occupation
for the unemployed youths.
In
recent year, however, the use of insecticides, pesticides, weedicides,
and fungicides, many of which even in minute quantities, are
highly toxic to aquatic life. There are other possibilities
that too is the time when paddy fields retain water,but for
off season for paddy crops; here,fishes alone can be grown.
However,the present trend leaning heavily towards multiple cropping
of culture practices.In other words,wheat can be substituted
in place of rice during the month of October to February at
Ziro.Moreover,fishes can be reared not only along with the common
carp-species but also with other species such as Catla-catla
(catla),Labeo rohita (Rohu),Cirrihnus mrigalo (Mrigal) when
the paddy crops grow in the fields. In this, stocking density
maintain at the rate of 5000 fingerling/ha. species ratio of
surface feeder 25%,colunm 30% and bottom feeder 45%.
Paddy field is suitable for fish culture at Ziro bacause of
having strong bund (Agher)in order to prevent leakage of water,
to retain upto disired depth and also to prevent the escape
of cultivated fishes during floods.The bunds built strong enough
to make up the height due to geographical and topographic location
of the paddy field. Bamboo mating done at the base of the bunds
for its support. On the bunds, millets [ sarse] cultivation
is a common practice in Apatani pleteau. Hence, leaving no portion
of paddy plots is left unutilised. But till now, horticulture
cum fish farming has not been taken up. In this practices, the
bunds can be utilised for several varieties of vegetables, like
cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes,radish, pumpkin, cucumber, beans,
brinjals chillies, gingers etc.
Apatanis
used paddy fields channel [ Siikho/Parkho/hehte] for water management
, constructed at the middle of the paddy fields that divides
the paddy field perpendicular and horizontally bisect at a point.
The parkho provides the rearing space for fishes and provide
shelter during the sunny day. It is important to note that Apatanis
paddy field has two outlets [ hubur] and one inlet [ hubur]
Former oulet is used for over flow of water and latter one which
remains at the bottom meant for draining of the water for harvesting
paddy crops and fishes.
Lack of poor management, pond culture at Ziro is somewhat lacking.
This could be improved by providing organic fertilisers as done
in paddy fields. In other ways, integrated with animal husbandry,
poultry would pave better result. In this practices, cow dung
and poultry litters can be used as organic manure for fish ponds.
Presently riverine [ kley] aquatic wealth is still virgin at
Ziro. The species of fish found in the riverine such as Schizothorax
[ Ngiyi Ngilyang], Eels [ Tabu Ngiyi], Nemaucheilus [ Ribu],
Dorikona or weed fish [ Ngi papi], murrels at the lower reaches
of Tabyu kley and others and monsoon migratory fishes [ Ngiira]
which is found during the heavy flood during the summer season.
Other species such as Prawn [ Nyanpo tassing] unwanted species
like Nato neta [ yato pano] , water beetle [ Yassi anii/chunyi]and
other aquatic bugs which occur plenty during the summer.
In
order to catch fish in river, in olden days, Apatanis used local
made gear Tajer,Takhung and barju to get total catch sometimes
by diverting the river water into other ditches. Frequently,
they used herbal poisonous plant to kill fish { Tamoh]. At present
, they used chemical substanes like bleaching power, other explosive
materials, and electrolites which is most discouraging in the
fieldof pisciculture practices as a result of unwanted meant
of practices leads to the death of valuable food organisms of
the aquatic environment. Further, it causes imbalancing of ecological
niche and thereby damaging the river bank. It is encourageable
that some of NGOs have already formed unaminously local conservation
Acts to stop such unwanted practices of fishing e.g. for increasing
fish production in a sustainable manner, conservation of aquatic
life, biodiversity is a necessary prerequisite.
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