Shillong, August 6: Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU), Shillong, has secured an international research and documentation grant from the British Museum in London to preserve traditional fishing tools and indigenous ecological knowledge in Meghalaya.
The grant has been awarded under the British Museum’s Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP) for a project titled “Documentation of the Production of Traditional Fishing Tools and Their Use in Freshwater Environments of Meghalaya, India.”
The project will be led by Dr. Rajindra K. Puri, Director of MLCU’s Centre for Biocultural Diversity and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent, United Kingdom. Dr. Larilin Kharpuri, Professor at MLCU, and Dr. Pranjal Dubey, Assistant Professor in the university’s Department of Environment and Traditional Ecosystems, will serve as Co-Principal Investigators.
The research will focus on the traditional fishing implements and associated ecological knowledge of the Pnar community in Sohmynting village, West Jaiñtia Hills district.
According to MLCU, the fishing tools are primarily made from locally available bamboo, cane and other natural materials. Their designs and methods of use reflect generations of indigenous innovation, ecological understanding and sustainable management of freshwater resources.
These tools continue to support rural livelihoods while also preserving the cultural heritage of the region. However, the university said many such practices are increasingly threatened by modern fishing technologies, environmental degradation and changing socio-economic conditions.
The project will systematically document the design, production methods, use and cultural importance of the traditional fishing tools to ensure that the knowledge is preserved for future generations.
The documentation is also expected to contribute to wider efforts in biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of Meghalaya’s freshwater ecosystems.
MLCU said the grant recognises the university’s commitment to research that combines academic excellence, community participation and the preservation of traditional ecological knowledge.
The university added that such collaborative initiatives will help safeguard Meghalaya’s indigenous heritage while supporting sustainable development, environmental stewardship and the conservation of the State’s unique biocultural diversity.
