State races to save the silver pomfret, acts against banned fishing | Mumbai news

PALGHAR: It’s a most unusual kind of murder. Most of us know the victim as the ‘paplet’, more precisely the baby silver pomfret. Stuffed, fried, and the star of a rich coconut gravy, the pomfret takes centre stage on seafood menus and dinner tables, often fetching an exorbitant ₹500-600 apiece in Mumbai’s fish markets.

The ‘murder’ isn’t just an oblique reference to its appearance on our dinner plates but to an illegal catch of baby silver pomfrets in Vasai taluka in Palghar district on April 2 and 3. The state fisheries department has initiated criminal proceedings against two boat owners found in possession of this banned catch, as fishing for the baby silver pomfret is prohibited (see box).

The action is a signal that the state government has stepped up its enforcement of the ban on fishing 54 species of baby fish, including the silver pomfret, less than 135-140 mm in length. Overfishing, and catching the baby of these species, has led to their dwindling numbers, many species all but disappearing from the Palghar coast, north of Mumbai, where they once bred in abundance.

Among this basket of 54 species, the silver pomfret is most sought-after along the Maharashtra coast. Its very popularity contributed to its diminishing numbers, prompting the Maharashtra government to declare it the ‘state fish’ in September 2023. Elevating its status is a way of raising awareness about the silver pomfret’s fast shrinking numbers and encouraging its conservation.

The enforcement drive on April 2 and 3 was undertaken by a special task force of the state fisheries department. Fisheries commissioner Kishor Tawde has appealed to fishing communities to avoid catching the baby of the 54 endangered species. He said an awareness campaign is being planned with the help of cooperative fishing societies, adding that the size of saleable fish will be prominently displayed at all fish markets in the state, to educate customers as well. At a later stage, the department plans to act against the traders and customers found selling or purchasing fish of prohibited size.

The silver pomfret, found mainly off the coast of Satpati, Zai, Dahanu, Arnala and Vasai in Palghar district, is the mainstay of fishermen in these parts. The fisheries department ramped up its enforcement against fishing for baby silver pomfret after noticing that fishermen in Palghar had caught them in large quantities – a tub of 1,500 to 1,700 baby pomfrets was selling for just ₹1,300-1,500.

“This type of fishing has resulted in the threat of extinction of this species,” said a fisheries department officer.

Rajan Meher, vice-president of the Maharashtra Machchhimar Kruti Samiti blames the inaction of the fisheries department for two years after the regulatory notification was issued in November 2023. He said they should have acted earlier.

He said, on average, one fishing boat catches around 50,000 baby silver pomfret. “This can be avoided by using nets of bigger mesh size. Many fishermen deliberately adjust their nets to float close to the surface of the water, to catch the baby fish,” said Meher.

“Till recently, in March and April, traditional fishermen used to fish mainly for Bombay duck (bombil) and big fish like dhada and ghol, leaving the baby pomfret for the fishing season in later months,” he said. “Only awareness campaigns and self-imposed restrictions can stop the fishing of baby fish.”

Ban on fishing baby fish

Fearing the extinction of several fish species, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) recommended a minimum fish size, of 54 species, that fishermen were allowed to catch. The state department of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy development accepted the recommendation and issued a notification on November 2, 2023, stating that the standard size of the silver pomfret was between 135 and 140 mm in length. It said legal action would be taken if fishermen were found fishing pomfret of smaller size. According to the fisheries department, silver pomfret breed in December and January, and in March, the baby fish are barely 20 to 30 grams in weight, and 60 to 70 mm in length.