This year a rare fish species locally known as Cheera Meenu’ has brought riches to fishermen of Muramalla, Yedurulanka, Guttenadeevi and Kesanakurrupalem in Mummidivaram Assembly constituency and Yanam region. According to reports, the fish species is only one inch long. Therefore, during October and November the fishermen catch the tiny fish with the help of saris. Hence, they acquired the name Cheera Meenu. It will be a splendid sight to watch young and old, men and women spread saris at a distance of 10-15 feet from shore and catch this rare fish. Fish lovers say the taste of this tiny variety haunts them as the season arrives. A glassful of the species sells at Rs 50. A pitcher full of the Cheera Meenu sells at not less than Rs 10,000. Fishermen sell them in pitchers and buckets. Transactions worth several lakhs of rupees take place per day during the season. A kg of the fish species sells anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1000. The fish sells like hot cake in Yanam, Yedurulanka and Muramalla markets. In Kotipalli and Mukteswaram areas, people cherish eating the species. The fish species can be noticed in the brackish water formed when the salt water of the sea and sweet water of the river meet at the confluence. It belongs to the Synodontidae family. Saurida Tumbil species of the family is known as Cheera Meenu in local parlance. These fish when in larvae phase float in innumerable numbers trying to go away from the brackish water at the confluence to get more oxygen. In the process, they get caught by fishermen. When cold and easterly wind blows across the sea, the Cheera Meenu can be spotted in Godavari. Alerted by birds catching Cheera Meenu, the fishermen jump in to the fray to catch the fish. Three people catch hold of a sari, which was stitched on one side, and go against the tide to catch the tiny fish. The small fish in their thousands floating in the water get trapped in the sari. As catching Cheera Meenu has become easy, not only the people from villages in Island Polavaram mandal and from Yanam region, several other communities try their hand in catching the fish. Also, the fish species is hunted using the nets meant for catching prawn seed. Kshatriya community members get cuisines like Cheera Meenu garelu (vadaa) and (tamrind) Chintakaya-Cheera Meenu fry prepared and send them to friends and relatives living in other states and overseas.
2016 Hyderabad Media House Limited/The Hans India.