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.

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.

Trawling versus Trolling

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

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.

Feeling Ilish

Hilsa, or 'Ilish' as the Bengalis call it, has faced indiscriminate exploitation in recent times. With Durga Pujo around the corner, are things going to get worse for Bengal's favourite fish?

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Sri Lanka bans bottom trawling

On Sri Lanka's welcome ban on bottom trawling, which has invoked harsh and undue criticism from India. Read more here.