By Dr.N.Mhonchan Shitiri
Earth scientists are of the opinion that our mother Earth can carry and sustain 2-3 billion people at a good standard of living over a long term. This is only the population of China and India combined as the world population at present is 7.6 billion.
In such a placed situation, we cannot expect any produce, be it agricultural or industrial to be pure and fresh unless it is our own field grown or produce. So we are not only confronted with food insecurity but also with food adulteration and safety. Everything from rice to apple to banana to fish and meat is in one way or the other inorganically treated and adulterated.
Today we are awaken to this fact through the detection of formalin in fish. But tomorrow we are likely to forget and forgo it and start eating as production is not in our hands.
Therefore, our immediate concern is food adaptation with what is locally available with us. During drought and famines our ancestors they say survived on wild tubers, fruits and leaves. Having said this I want to press home one food security measure that will be locale and long term.
Doyang Hydro Electric Project reservoir,Wokha is a vast and deep expanse of about 20-25 kms and is at a confluence of two big rivers- Doyang and Chubi which are both very good fish breeding grounds and home to the threatened Masher species.
I am of the strong opinion that this sea like water surface can be used to augment our need for fish with the inputs from fishery experts, which otherwise is being kept untapped.
Daily fish catch at the reservoir has drastically gone down to 200-300 kgs whereas some years back a single fish monger could collect 3000 kgs in a day. And so with technology intervention in breeding and harvesting this reservoir will tide over to some extend our demand for fish.
There are some acute local problems that need to be addressed like use of dynamite, welfare measures, marketing etc . But this locality is also the home of the famed Amur Falcon preservation and protection campaign and with intervention by the government, these local problems will also be solved.
