Last year, India’s long coastline yielded an estimated 3.57 million tonnes of marine fish, brought ashore by lakhs of fishermen, a 3% increase from 3.47 million tonnes in 2024. But this fishing is not done mindlessly. Every year, fishermen wait for 61 days to protect fish during peak spawning season, allowing fish populations to breed. Along the East Coast, from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, fishing is suspended from April 15 to June 16, while the West Coast observes the ban from June 1 to July 31. This uniform ban was implemented based on the recommendation of experts, in consultation with coastal States and Union Territories. During this period, fishermen spend their days watching the sea, chatting about fish and the winds, repairing boats, and removing molluscs from hulls. In some States, non-mechanised crafts are allowed to fish close to shore; in others, such as Andhra Pradesh, all fishing activity is banned. Fish from other coasts are usually transported to regions under the ban. Even as the annual ban remains…