Mumbai, India’s economic capital is located on the west coast of the country. A bustling city of 12.4 million,1 it is also the capital city of the state of Maharashtra. Known as the “city of dreams”, Mumbai attracts migrants from varied backgrounds, who pour into the city daily, from all corners of the country, hoping for a better life. The original inhabitants of Mumbai, the kolis, have been engulfed by the modern city and the influx of migrants. The kolis are traditional fishers. They continue to hold out in pockets – their fishing villages, called koliwadas, dot the city’s coastline, and are located on prime real estate. Despite a decline in their nearshore fishing activities due to urbanisation, pollution and other developments, they represent a unique identity of the city. Men do the fishing while women remain behind to operate on land‐based resources, that is, coastal spaces and fish markets. They have been using these coastal spaces and fish markets for centuries now.
