Did you know that shark (mori) and Indian salmon (raus) populations off the country’s west coast are dwindling, or that unaccounted amounts of various marine species get discarded as bycatch annually? Given the ever-increasing demand for seafood and indiscriminate fishing practices used, much of the fish we relish today could soon be pushed to the brink of extinction. Deeply concerned about the disastrous impacts overfishing could have on marine ecosystems, a team of young marine researchers has set out on a mission to tackle the issue from the top, down; beginning with the consumer. Know Your Fish, a voluntary outreach initiative conceptualised by Mayuresh Gangal, Pooja Rathod and Chetana Purushottam, aims at convincing hotel owners to adapt to an ocean-friendly menu. Based on a collation of published information on the breeding seasons of some sought-after food fish along the west coast of India, and breeding seasons of bycatch species, they’ve put together a calendar for each of these species (refer to graphic). This calendar, which is available on their website, knowyourfish.org.in, and is revised periodically, indicates the best months to consume a given species and periods when it should be absolutely avoided. Benefits of following the almanac are two-pronged, Gangal says. One, it helps spare fish during their respective breeding seasons and early stages of life. Two, it goes a long way in controlling collateral damage. For instance, after collating all available scientific literature on kingfish (visvonn) breeding off the west coast of India, including Goa, the trio found that kingfish breed from May to November and that a major part of the process occurs between October and November. Hence, they recommend against the consumption of kingfish during these two months. Where prevention of collateral damage is concerned, the team took the example of seer fish (surmai) catches, which, they observed, involved a lot of unintentional bycatch of sharks, too. After ascertaining that most shark species on the west coast breed through March, April and May, Gangal, Rathod and Purushottam modified their recommendation for seer fish to accommodate the sharks’ breeding season, thereby causing minimum collateral damage. The researchers are in the process of taking such information to restaurateurs and hoteliers, urging them to help consumers make informed choices. “So far, four eateries each in Goa and Mumbai have committed to present the Know Your Fish calendar to their customers along with their menu. It seems like people know about the state of the oceans and are willing to do something about it,” Gangal says. While Goa’s fisheries department claims no seafood species, barring windowpane oysters, are threatened, it is willing to consider collaborating with such sustainable fishing initiatives if it is approached. “So far, we implement a two-month-long ban on fishing during the monsoon as the upwelling and nutrient content of the waters in this period is conducive to fish breeding,” says fisheries director Shamila Monteiro, when asked about the state’s efforts to ensure sustainable fishing in the state. The department also prohibits the use of nets that have a mesh size of over 20mm. The mission, however, is far from accomplished. “Efforts are needed on all fronts to tackle overfishing. Government involvement is critical on more direct fronts, such as having a well-informed fisheries policy and catch quotas, monitoring of fishing stocks, etc,” Gangal says.