Benefits of Seaweed Culture

Some benefits of seaweed culture: comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. While seaweed does have immense potential to be the future of sustainable agriculture, the current commercial extraction of seaweed, mainly focussed on agar-yielding varieties, is extractive, unsustainable and exploitative to the workers employed in this industry. As researcher and seaweed gardener Gabriella D'cruz rightly points out, India needs to arm itself with more effective policy around seaweed farming, to reap the true benefits of this bounty.

Follow Gabriella's initiative 'The Good Ocean' to know more about seaweed culture trends in India. 

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.

Fishing Industry and Covid Lockdown

Among the worst victims of the abrupt lockdown to curb the spread of COVID in India has been the fishing industry. Numerous boats out at sea for days were taken completely unawares by the lockdown, and with all transport or storage facilities abruptly shut, are having to dump their catch right back into the sea. This isn't just a waste of sea food, but a major blow to both the livelihoods of coastal communities and India's coastal economy. The crisis calls for immediate intervention by authorities to ensure that no more of the catch goes waste, and better policy on the insurance of finances for fishermen in the long run.

Adani Port and Pulicat Fisherwomen

Pulicat's fisherfolk are fighting Adani's expansion of the Kuttapally Port with a seafood festival at the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha over the weekend, in collaboration with InSeason Fish. To learn how seafood can be consumed in a way that supports sustainable fisheries, follow InSeason Fish for more informtion.

Maps of Marine Conservation Priority Sites in Hong Kong

To celebrate World Oceans Day (8th June), WWF Hong Kong commissioned me to create this set of 7 maps for marine conservation priority sites in Hong Kong. WWF is working with the government to create marine conservation reserves in these areas. The maps show some of the key species found in the region, as well as the threats and conservation pressures that they face. 

The maps were displayed at kiosks and interactive devices at the WWF Hong Kong event 'Sea for Future', held on World Oceans Day. The maps are also being used in WWF's marine conservation and awareness collaterals. Thanks to Samantha Lee of WWF for commissioning me for this project, and for giving me a chance to draw and learn about fish!

Shrimp Trawling and Bycatch

How much does a shrimp/prawn dish cost? Anywhere between Rs. 100 to 2500 depending on where you're eating. But what is the cost of that plate of shrimp beyond the price you're paying?

For every kilogram of marine shrimp or prawn caught, four kilograms of bycatch is also trawled from the bottom of the sea (fact courtesy: http://knowyourfish.org.in/), making shrimp one of the most unsustainable kinds of seafood. Shrimp trawling not only takes an unimaginable toll on marine biodiversity, which includes sharks, rays, reef fish, dolphins and turtles, but also damages coral reefs and benthic ecosystems.

Ahead of World Oceans Day (8th June), I pledge to completely give up eating shrimp, at least unless India has banned trawling and more sustainable options are available. I hope you too will consider giving up, or at least reducing your shrimp consumption.

The comic appears in 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.

Longline Fishing

On one of the most unsustainable fishing methods from my column with Mid-Day.