Governance Gaps and Fisherfolk Challenges in Loktak Lake: A Study of the Existing Fisheries Management Framework

Fishing is activity which is rarely carried out all alone and is often required management system which has to be formed between people and community. In the present study, five villages around the Loktak lake of Manipur were selected by adopting a case study cum survey method to analyse the fisheries management system existing in the Loktak lake and the problems faced by the fishers in the region during fishing. After catching the fishes, the fishers marketed it immediately to the middlemen either in fresh condition or in processed form as there is no icing facility for storage. Smoking of fishes using the local wood such as Sahi and Kui were found to be the main mode of preservation. Gear and craft mainly operating in the Loktak Lake consisted of gill nets and dugout canoes respectively. It was observed that banned seasons are so far does not exist in Loktak lake. Using Rank Based Quotient techniques, the problems of the fishermen were analysed. Strong waves leading to the movement of the phum was reported as the major problem. The construction of Ithai barrage on Loktak Lake leads to the reduction in fish productivity.