Indigenous wisdom on conservation of fisheries and fish preservation by Khasi tribes of Meghalaya
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE ON FISHERIES AND FISH PRESERVATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56042/ijtk.v24i8.19065Keywords:
Fish attractants, Fish preservation, Hill farming, Indigenous fishing, Piscicidal plants, Value additionAbstract
Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITKs) preserves ancient wisdom and beliefs to ensure efficient utilization and conservation of fish resources in hill farming. Northeast India has documented ITKs on several agricultural practices, but they are mostly ignored in the livestock sector, particularly in fisheries. This study collected, compiled, and documented 34 ITKs on community fishing (12), fishing gears (7), piscicidal plants (5), fish attractants (6), and fish preservation and value addition (4). Repeated field visits, semi-structured personal interviews, focus group discussions, and observation methods were used to gather primary data from 75 villages covering 278 respondents in northeastern hill states of Meghalaya (Ri-Bhoi). Community fishing mostly uses piscicidal plants such as Milletia pachycarpa and Zanthozylum alatum. The plant parts, including roots, contain toxins like saponins and rotenone, which either kill the fish or burn their eyes to come to the water surface. To catch Channa gachua and Channa lipor fish, they use active fishing gear where earthworms are pierced by a needle grass and attached to a bamboo fishing rod, locally known as 'Khwai-kynjlom'. To catch fish, they use attractants like leaves and fruits of Prunus nepalensis and Viburnum foetidum, larvae of sour ants, wasps, honey bees, caterpillars, etc. A rectangular wooden structure, known locally as Tympan, is used to preserve the smoke drying of salted fish, which has a shelf life of 6 months or more. To increase the value of small fish, they are sun-dried, crushed, and mixed with vegetables (e.g., pumpkin, papaya, yam stems, or banana plantains), and then added white ash and bamboo vinegar to extend the shelf life for 2 months. Refinement of these ITKs through research and development can enable their cost-effective large-scale adoption in climate-resilient sustainable farming systems.
