Correspondent
IMPHAL, JULY 1
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rog hunters in Manipur went in groups in auto rickshaws searching for good sites. They look for paddy fields in rainy season. They used modified torch lights using bamboo tubes and hunt for wild frogs.
Thus a hunter could harvest about 50 frogs a night and 3/4 hunter groups could harvest about 40,000 frogs a month if they are lucky enough. Such groups handed over their collection to a collector who bought them at Rs 5 - 7 per frog according to their size. The collectors will then take it to the master collector who will buy it at higher rates to send to the markets in the state’s hill districts and neighboring states where frogs are eaten as their delicacy.
Catching at night and transporting through inter-state transport services in early morning is the reason why the business is not visible in public.This is how the frog hunters work in Manipur every day and night. This came to light following a disclosure by a group of frog traders who were arrested in the state during a raid conducted by People For Animal (PFA) Thoubal accompanied by police team from Imphal West Police Station.
The raid was conducted along few locations along Dingku road in Imphal around 4 am today, according to a press release issued by PFA Thoubal.
We succeeded in apprehending 4 female hunters who were dealing frogs, “says the PFA release. “A total of 523 frogs of Indian Bullfrog species which are listed in schedule 4 of Wildlife Protection Act including some death were rescued from them.”
The arrested frog hunters cum traders have been identified as Ningombam Dashu of Khongjom Tekcham, Naorem Memcha of KhongjomTekcham, Thabitha Ningshen of Kamjong and Jenni Shimrah of Sangshak both presently staying at Khuman Lampak in Imphal. They were compounded a sum of Rs 2000 each while the frogs were released back to the paddy fields with the permission of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Central Division on Tuesday.
The step has been taken in view of the mushrooming of frog trading which become flourishing businesses among the farmers turned frog hunters who spent sleepless nights catching frogs in the state’s wet paddy fields.
Thousands of frogs are being caught and eaten while thousands are feared to be exported to the neighboring states of Manipur, the release said. Manipur which houses number of exotic flora and fauna but instead of conserving them, people always look for easy money earning activities.
But one should understand hunting of frog is a very serious threat to ecosystem. Feeding on pest, frogs are natural best pest controller. It is disgusting to think why the farmers killed their close friends like frogs as they protect the crops from pest. Thus over hunting of frogs could lead to extinction of the amphibian and other birds/animals.
“This is one of reason why the hill districts of Manipur where frogs are caught and eaten experienced more vector born disease cases as these were spread by fly, mosquito and other insects,” the PFA said.
