State of World Migratory Species

A hilsa, one of our most popular migratory fish imperiled by dams and overfishing, summarises the findings of the first 'State of the World's Migratory Species' report, published recently by the CMS (UN). 

Cartoon for The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Black Spotted Croaker the State Fish of Gujarat

Gujarat's newly declared State Fish, the Black-spotted Croaker or 'Ghol' is 'near-threatened' on the IUCN Red List because of overfishing and export of swim bladders for Chinese medicine. Hopefully, the new title will make the conservation of the Ghol a priority. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Silver Pomfret the State Fish of Maharashtra

My home state Maharashtra has a new official state fish, everyone's favourite Silver Pomfret! But the 'pom still frets', as the high demand for the fish has led the mechanized fishing industry to ravage its populations, coupled with sea pollution. Marine conservationists suggest that diversifying consumption along with better implementation of periodic fishing bans and research will help save the pomfret. 

Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Cartoons on Dolphin Depredation

The issue of depredation, i.e. dolphins damaging fishing nets to take fish, has been a growing concern both for cetaceans and fishers in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. I collaborated with ACCOBAMS (Agreement on Conservation of Cetaceans of Black and Mediterranean Seas) to bring out a set of 9 cartoons that break down the issue of dolphin depredation, and explain how better monitoring and implementation of scientific solutions can help control the problem. The cartoons have been translated to French, Italian, Spanish, Maltese and Arabic, and are being used in publications and multimedia, targeted at ACCOBAMS' partners and funding organizations. Another publication I am working on for ACCOBAMS, a comic + colouring book on the relationship between fishers and dolphins of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, will be out next month.

A big thanks to Julie Belmont from ACCOBAMS for the opportunity!

What Elasmobranchs think about the new CITES Regulations

Nearly 100 species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) were awarded protection in the form of an agreement on regulations on finning and trade between signatories to the CITES, at the conference held recently in Panama City this year. Here's what the elasmobranchs have to say about it!

Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain. Read more about the CITES regulations here. 

Greenland Shark Fishing Ban

A ban on the fishing and bycatch of Greenland Sharks by the NAFO raises hope for the slow-breeding species, the longest living vertebrate on earth! Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Phoenix Island Protected Area

Kiribati, Phoenix Island Protected Area and China. Cartoon from my column with The Hindu.

Shark Death Stats

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Just a shark reading out some stats, in my column with The Hindu Weekend.

Hammerhead Shark Conservation Threats

Conservation threats to Hammerhead Sharks. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Draft Marine Fisheries Bill

On the Draft Marine Fisheries Bill from my column with The Hindu.

Humpback Mahseer in Kaveri

Kaveri's Humpback Mahseers are critically endangered, but with efforts like that of river ecologist Neeti Mahesh, there is hope. Comic strip from my column with The Hindu.

Unpopular but Right Opinions of the Right Whale

A Right Whale offers its two bits on marine conservation, this World Oceans Day. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Smooth Handfish

Meet the Smooth Handfish, the modern world's first marine fish to be declared extinct. Comic from my column with The Hindu.

World Albatross Day

On albatrosses and longline fishing from my column with Roundglass Sustain. Hundreds of albatrosses and other sea birds get caught as longline bycatch every year. In recent years, better cooperation between conservation organizations and fishermen has resulted in reduced mortality, by the application of simple measures like streamer lines.

The cartoon is also a small tribute to my favourite poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, which I have always interpreted as an exploration of the relationship between man and the forces of nature.

Trawling versus Trolling

How bad is bottom trawling? Worse than being Twitter-trolled. That bad. Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Reduced Fishing Ban in India

It's World Oceans Day today. As the rest of the world celebrates the day with posters and messages about turtle, dolphin and shark conservation, India grapples with a more cardinal issue: the reduction of the fishing ban period along India's coastal waters in a bid to counter the impacts of the COVID lockdown on our fisheries. It just takes putting two and two together to see how marine conservation is linked with the welfare of fishworkers, and a blow to one means a blow to the other. 

The Grey Mullet fish mulls out loud in my column with The Hindu.

Yankee Doodle Feat the Yangtze Paddlefish

A jingle to remember to Yangtze Paddlefish that was declared extinct last week. China has imposed a 10 year ban on fishing since the declaration, but dams and pollution continue to threaten the Yangtze and its denizens. Recent casualties to extinction prior to the paddlefish have been the Reeves Shad and the Baiji Dolphin, while the Chinese Sturgeonfish and the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle, both on the brink of extinction, are expected to perish next.

21st Century Problems and the Vaquita

Numbering barely over 20, the Vaquita, found in the Gulf of California, is the world's most endangered marine mammal, threatened by gillnets used for fishing Totoaba. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Gangetic Dolphin Mascot and Poster

Meet Muskaan the Gangetic Dolphin, India's national aquatic animal, and Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary's official mascot! Vikramshila is the only dolphin sanctuary in India. The poster explains some of the conservation threats the species faces in and around the sanctuary, and is being used for conservation awareness locally.

Thanks to the Forest Department of Bihar for commissioning me for the assignment!

A Tale of Two Hilsa Lovers

Bengal's unending appetite for Hilsa could spell doom not only for the fish itself, but for coastal ecosystems along the Bay of Bengal. The demand escalates exponentially in the festive months, to meet which, unsustainable methods such as bottom trawling are employed, threatening not just fish stocks and marine environments, but also artisanal and sustainable fishing practices. With Durga Pujo around the corner, things are only likely to get worse for Hilsa, as well as predators like sharks that depend on Hilsa and other estuarine fish.

Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.