Seasonal seafood calendar aims to align Indian consumption with fish breeding cycles

Marine biologists Pooja Rathod and Mayuresh Gangal co-founded Know Your Fish (KYF), a voluntary initiative that publishes an online calendar for India's west coast identifying which fish are breeding during specific months. The calendar incorporates data on breeding cycles, biological traits and vulnerability to overharvest, with similar guidance for the east coast under development. Rathod said the goal is to reconnect people with the ocean by making marine science accessible and turning conservation into a household conversation.

The initiative does not present the calendar as a complete solution to fisheries challenges. Gangal described it as a tool to collectively reduce impact on marine ecosystems by informing consumers which species to avoid during breeding seasons. About one million people work directly in India's marine capture fisheries, which play important roles in food supply, food security and income generation.

Senior scientist Rohan Arthur of the Nature Conservation Foundation said seasonality and locality are two of the strongest principles of ecological sustainability. He noted that cold-chain logistics and year-round consumer demand have disconnected markets from natural cycles, making it easier to buy species that may be breeding elsewhere. Arthur emphasized that consumer choices can help build more resilient fish populations but must accompany broader conservation efforts.

Climate change is altering the predictable seasonal cues that traditionally governed breeding and migration. Fisherman Ganesh Nakhawa said the southwest monsoon once signalled the start of breeding for commercially important species, but rainfall patterns have become less predictable. Species such as Bombay duck and prawns no longer arrive in the same numbers or at the same time, and Maharashtra has extended its annual fishing ban from 31 July to 15 August in response.

KYF is building a real-time record of observations from fishing communities to track whether breeding seasons are shifting. Nakhawa said people who find fish carrying eggs are asked to report it, helping researchers understand if spawning times are changing. The founders compared local knowledge with decades of fisheries science rather than relying on assumptions alone, finding that some traditional practices mirror breeding cycles while others do not.

Restaurateur Ilvika Chandavarkar of Malaka Spice in Pune displays the KYF calendar alongside menus and removes species during their breeding seasons, even when customers request them. She said staff training includes the calendar so chefs and servers understand breeding cycles before recommending dishes. While some diners get upset, Chandavarkar said curiosity about food origins has increased and explaining the reasoning makes people more willing to accept seasonal substitutions.

Shellfish present particular challenges because many varieties lack suitable substitutes and diners associate seafood with freshness despite widespread frozen availability. Chandavarkar said education becomes important when alternatives cannot be offered. The initiative's founders stress that seasonal seafood is no silver bullet but can be an important step toward protecting marine ecosystems alongside other conservation measures.