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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/fishing/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:11:13 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>A world of bristles beneath the waves</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Sep 2026 17:06:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shrimp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shrimp farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/01143225/Amphinomids-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40603</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Polychaete worms are among the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates on Earth. According to the World Register of Marine Species, approximately 13,148 valid polychaete species are currently recognised. Some researchers even estimate that this number could rise to 16,700 by the end of the century. “They (polychaete worms) occur in almost all marine habitats, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Polychaete worms are among the most diverse groups of marine invertebrates on Earth. According to the World Register of Marine Species, approximately 13,148 valid polychaete species are currently recognised. Some researchers even estimate that this number could rise to 16,700 by the end of the century. “They (polychaete worms) occur in almost all marine habitats, from estuaries, mangroves, sandy shores, coral reefs, and seagrass beds to the continental shelf and deeper waters,” said Sanitha Sivadas, a marine benthic ecology expert and Scientist E at the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Visakhapatnam. “A small percentage of polychaete species have even adapted to low-salinity and inland water environments,” Sivadas added. Polychaeta, Greek for “having much hair”, refers to the bristles on the fleshy, leg-like protrusions on their body, which also lends them their other name, bristle worms. These worms range in size from a few millimetres to more than a metre long and come in colours ranging from dull brown to neon yellow and orange-red. In India, despite their vast diversity, polychaete worms remain understudied. Mongabay-India spoke to polychaete experts and taxonomists to learn more about the bright, bristly worms of our seas. India’s underexplored diversity With its extensive coastline and diverse coastal and marine habitats, India is home to a huge diversity of polychaete worms, said Sivadas. “[But] the current recorded [polychaete] diversity represents only a part of the actual diversity in Indian waters,” she added. Pierre Fauvel laid the foundation for documenting India’s polychaete fauna. The well-known French polychaetologist’s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-world-of-bristles-beneath-the-waves/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Why do changes in the Indian Ocean matter? [Explainer]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/why-do-changes-in-the-indian-ocean-matter-explainer/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/why-do-changes-in-the-indian-ocean-matter-explainer/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Aug 2026 12:33:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bharti Dharapuram]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural history]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/20110746/pexels-batagov-29813525-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40293</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Science, Coast, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Extreme Weather Events, Fishing, Global Warming, Monsoons, Oceans, Overfishing, and Sea Level Rise]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the dynamic Indian Ocean, change is perpetual, as currents, environment, climate and biodiversity interact across multiple scales, even as global warming reshapes these interactions. The Indian Ocean is geologically the youngest of the world’s major oceans, sharing its origin with the Himalayas and is the third largest ocean in the world. Its dynamic nature, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the dynamic Indian Ocean, change is perpetual, as currents, environment, climate and biodiversity interact across multiple scales, even as global warming reshapes these interactions. The Indian Ocean is geologically the youngest of the world’s major oceans, sharing its origin with the Himalayas and is the third largest ocean in the world. Its dynamic nature, with its environment changing in space and time at various scales, impacts the region’s climate, headlined by the monsoon, and its rich biodiversity. The ocean is also the fastest warming tropical oceans in the world, threatening an increase in extreme climatic events and the decline of marine ecosystems that would impact a third of the global human population dependent on it for lives and livelihoods. How did the Indian Ocean take shape? The Indian Ocean originated from the ancient Tethys Sea, once a seaway linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean of today. This seaway closed gradually when a drifting Indian plate collided with the Asian landmass giving rise to the Himalayas, and the African and the Arabian plates closed the gap with Europe. Once a biodiversity hotspot teeming with marine species, particularly in its shallow tropical waters, the closure of this ancient sea led to widespread extinctions, shifting the centre of marine diversity eastwards to Southeast Asia. The closure also had a significant impact on land animals. One of the earliest known whale fossils, Himalayacetus (over 52 million years old), comes from oyster-rich deposits of the Tethys Sea in the foothills of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/why-do-changes-in-the-indian-ocean-matter-explainer/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Scientists identify new deep-sea shark species from India’s southwest coast</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/scientists-identify-new-deep-sea-shark-species-from-indias-southwest-coast/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/scientists-identify-new-deep-sea-shark-species-from-indias-southwest-coast/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Aug 2026 12:15:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ananya Singh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bycatch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deep seas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trawling]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/04130134/A_drona_holotype_image_male-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39826</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, New species, Oceans, Overfishing, Positive Environmental, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A deep-sea catshark caught off Kerala’s coast has now been identified as a new species, highlighting the need for better understanding of deep-sea biodiversity. In 2022, a team of scientists sifting through the bycatch of deep-sea shrimp trawlers came across a black, slender-bodied fish with an angular, pointed snout and striking white eyes. This fish [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A deep-sea catshark caught off Kerala’s coast has now been identified as a new species, highlighting the need for better understanding of deep-sea biodiversity. In 2022, a team of scientists sifting through the bycatch of deep-sea shrimp trawlers came across a black, slender-bodied fish with an angular, pointed snout and striking white eyes. This fish had been caught at a depth of 400-650 metres at Kollam slope, a continental slope in the southeastern Arabian Sea off Kerala’s coast, designated as an Important Shark and Ray Area. The team confirmed that it belonged to the genus Apristurus — a group of deepwater catsharks — and brought it back to the lab for further examination. Two years later, the researchers collected three additional specimens at Sakthikulangara Fisheries Harbour, Kollam, during monitoring surveys. Through morphological and molecular analyses of the four specimens, the team found that this species was distinct from others within the genus and described it as a new species of deepwater catshark (Apristurus drona) in their paper published earlier this year in Zootaxa. The objective of the study, part of a larger project under the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ Deep Ocean Mission, was to explore the diversity of deep-sea chondrichthyans which are cartilaginous fish such as sharks (Selachimorpha), rays and skates (Batoidea) and chimaeras (Holocephali) and resolve some of the taxonomic confusion around them. “From biodiversity inventory surveys, we have realised that our understanding of deep-sea biodiversity is limited,” said Bineesh K.K., the study’s corresponding author and a scientist at&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/scientists-identify-new-deep-sea-shark-species-from-indias-southwest-coast/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>A fertile landscape at the crossroads of ecology and development [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-fertile-landscape-at-the-crossroads-of-ecology-and-development-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-fertile-landscape-at-the-crossroads-of-ecology-and-development-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Aug 2026 15:47:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[C.P. Rajendran]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solution]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/03125249/4670487709_c95df8f47d_4k-scaled-e1785742237892-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39805</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Fish, Fishing, Floods, Lakes, Monsoons, Pollution, Sea Level Rise, Waste management, Water, Water Pollution, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Kuttanad region of Kerala, often celebrated as the &#8220;rice bowl&#8221; of the state, is a landscape of profound beauty and immense ecological significance. Yet, its existence is a delicate balancing act, a testament to both the generative power of nature and the often-destructive ambition of human intervention. This intricate wetland system, a mosaic of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Kuttanad region of Kerala, often celebrated as the &#8220;rice bowl&#8221; of the state, is a landscape of profound beauty and immense ecological significance. Yet, its existence is a delicate balancing act, a testament to both the generative power of nature and the often-destructive ambition of human intervention. This intricate wetland system, a mosaic of lush green paddy fields, labyrinthine canals, and the vast expanse of Vembanad lake, is a geographical marvel that is simultaneously a victim of its own fertility and the relentless pressures of modernisation. Kuttanad is world-renowned for its below-sea-level paddy cultivation and unique brackish-water ecosystem. Alongside this remarkable agricultural practice, the region&#8217;s brackish-water ecosystem supports a thriving inland fisheries sector, with the Vembanad estuary serving as a critical nursery for numerous fish and prawn species. Together, these intertwined livelihoods — agriculture and fisheries — form the economic and cultural backbone of Kuttanad. So distinctive and globally significant is this integrated farming system that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has recognised it as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), placing Kuttanad alongside other iconic agricultural landscapes like the terraced rice fields of the Philippines and the saffron fields of Kashmir. Geologically speaking, Kuttanad is a young and dynamic landscape. In the distant past, this region formed part of the shallow coastal shelf of the Arabian Sea. Over millennia, the powerful rivers originating in the Western Ghats, chiefly the Pampa, Achankovil, and Manimala, carried massive loads of silt and alluvium from the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/a-fertile-landscape-at-the-crossroads-of-ecology-and-development-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>West coast fishers confront ‘ghost gear’ problem</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Jul 2026 10:47:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Robert Bociaga]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ghost nets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/23095213/IMG_5513-2048x1536-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39539</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the early light at Thoppumpady fishing harbour in the city of Kochi, coils of blue and green nylon nets lay heaped on the concrete docks, stiff with salt after a long night at sea. Many had been patched and repatched so often that they were barely holding together. Nets too damaged to mend are [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the early light at Thoppumpady fishing harbour in the city of Kochi, coils of blue and green nylon nets lay heaped on the concrete docks, stiff with salt after a long night at sea. Many had been patched and repatched so often that they were barely holding together. Nets too damaged to mend are often cut loose offshore. Once they sink, few are ever recovered. Across India’s west coast, lost fishing gear known as “ghost gear” has become a significant source of marine pollution. Nets vanish whole or in fragments, slipping into the waters of the Arabian Sea where they continue trapping fish, turtles and other marine life long after fishers abandon them. India operates one of the world’s largest marine fishing sectors, supporting an estimated 14.5 million livelihoods along more than 7,500 kilometres of coastline. While national estimates are scarce, a 2022 study in the southwestern state of Kerala, where Kochi is located, found that fishers lost, abandoned or discarded about 21% of their fishing gear annually. That’s more than 10 times the global average of 1.82% estimated by another study, which highlights the scale of material entering India’s marine environment. Despite growing concern among researchers and conservationists, India lacks a systematic way to track, retrieve or recycle lost fishing gear, as well as accessible mechanisms to collect and safely dispose of end-of-life nets and other equipment before they are discarded at sea. The government regulates fisheries tightly in many respects — from mesh sizes and seasonal bans&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/west-coast-fishers-confront-ghost-gear-problem/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Dolphins tread the waters between tourist boats and fishing nets</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Jul 2026 16:03:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dolphins]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/21145702/Researchers-found-that-dolphins-were-more-likely-to-avoid-tourist-boats-as-they-approached-more-closely-or-surrounded-them-in-larger-numbers.-Photo-Credit-Imran-Samad-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39516</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Goa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Fish, Fishing, Mammals, Oceans, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For Indian Ocean humpback dolphins off Goa&#8217;s coast, fishing nets may offer feeding opportunities, while tourist boats often bring disturbance. A recent study, published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, examined how the endangered species balances these competing responses when tourism and fisheries overlap in the same waters. “Tourism and fisheries are among the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For Indian Ocean humpback dolphins off Goa&#8217;s coast, fishing nets may offer feeding opportunities, while tourist boats often bring disturbance. A recent study, published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, examined how the endangered species balances these competing responses when tourism and fisheries overlap in the same waters. “Tourism and fisheries are among the most common human activities in the habitats used by these dolphins. We were interested in how dolphins respond when they have to balance disturbance from boats with the opportunity to access food resources,” says Imran Samad, corresponding author of the study and a scholar at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science. Watching dolphins from above The study was carried out in north Goa between October 2023 and April 2024. The region supports relatively high densities of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins and also experiences intensive fishing and dolphin-watching tourism activity. Researchers monitored dolphin groups from elevated coastal vantage points. Once dolphins were sighted, they followed the animals using a drone, flown at a height of 60-100 metres above sea level. “Traditionally, dolphin behaviour is studied either from the shore using theodolites (monoculars used to estimate dolphin positions) or from boats. We used drones, which allowed us to observe animals from above and follow individuals and groups without directly disturbing them,&#8221; says Samad. Over six months, the team conducted 90 focal follows of dolphin groups and recorded 19 hours of dolphin footage. The footage was then analysed using machine-learning tools that tracked dolphin movements&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/dolphins-tread-the-waters-between-tourist-boats-and-fishing-nets/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
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					<title>Important shark, ray habitats in India are still unprotected</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Jul 2026 09:30:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rupsy Khurana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/17171255/Scalloped_Hammerhead_Shark_Sphyrna_Lewini_226845659-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39423</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Environmental Law, and Fishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For more than 400 million years, sharks have survived on Earth, outlasting dramatic climatic shifts and multiple mass extinctions. But since 1970, the global abundance of sharks and rays has reduced by 71%. During the same period, fishing pressure doubled, and shark and ray catches tripled. Unabated extraction and the destruction of key nursery and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For more than 400 million years, sharks have survived on Earth, outlasting dramatic climatic shifts and multiple mass extinctions. But since 1970, the global abundance of sharks and rays has reduced by 71%. During the same period, fishing pressure doubled, and shark and ray catches tripled. Unabated extraction and the destruction of key nursery and feeding grounds have pushed many populations of sharks and their relatives, rays and chimaeras, into steep decline. Today, more than three-quarters of these species are threatened with extinction. According to a 2021 study, India is the world&#8217;s second-largest shark-fishing nation, occupying a critical position in the future of shark and ray conservation. Yet many of the country&#8217;s existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) exclude key habitats of these species, which can limit the effectiveness of current conservation efforts, finds a new study, published in Biodiversity and Conservation. “This study highlights that new efforts are needed to ensure that sharks and rays also receive adequate protection, just like sea turtles, dolphins, and so on,” says Divya Karnad, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter and an author of the study. Scalloped hammerhead sharks at Sasson Dock, Mumbai. Image by Raju Kasambe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Mismatched conservation targets and reality The study maps Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA), a framework by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group, to identify habitats essential for the survival of sharks, rays, and chimaeras. ISRAs are discrete areas where these species occur regularly or predictably and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/important-shark-ray-habitats-in-india-are-still-unprotected/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>Fishers, naturalists worry about the impacts of turning a coastal wetland into a reservoir</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2026 17:18:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Smitha T.K.]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban wetlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wetlands]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/13161843/4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39239</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Coast, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Environment, Fishing, Floods, Habitat Loss, Lakes, and Wetlands]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Narayanan R. stood on the muddy bund of the Great Salt Lake, watching a group of flamingoes pick their way across the shallows. He remembered standing in the same spot as a 10-year-old, knee-deep in water — the day his father showed him how to fish. &#8220;The flamingoes may not come next season,” he said. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Narayanan R. stood on the muddy bund of the Great Salt Lake, watching a group of flamingoes pick their way across the shallows. He remembered standing in the same spot as a 10-year-old, knee-deep in water — the day his father showed him how to fish. &#8220;The flamingoes may not come next season,” he said. “These pools will dry soon. A few hundred metres away, Gowriamma waded through the shallow waters of the lake, her fingers sifting through the mud for shrimp. “Everything depends on these small pools. We know this water through the mud and the thorns.&#8221; Located between Nemmeli and Kovalam in Chennai, the Great Salt Lake also known as Kovalam-Nemmeli backwaters, is a coastal wetland that spans 5,000 acres. The Tamil Nadu government plans to convert this coastal wetland into Chennai’s sixth drinking water reservoir: the Mamallan reservoir. Chennai currently supplies between 700 and 800 million litres per day (MLD) of water. The demand already exceeds 1,100 MLD and is projected to cross 2,500 MLD by 2035, according to the project&#8217;s environmental impact assessment (EIA). The Mamallan reservoir aims to supply 170 MLD for the city’s needs. The reservoir is designed to store 1.65 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) in a single filling and an annual storage of 2.25 TMC. However, for Narayanan, Gowriamma and many fishing families in the area, losing the Great Salt Lake means losing the only world they have ever known. “Who are we to change the contours drawn by nature?” Narayanan asks.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/a-coastal-wetland-could-soon-become-a-reservoir-to-meet-a-citys-water-demand/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>Artificial light at night alters foraging behaviour in kites</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/artificial-light-at-night-is-altering-foraging-behaviour-in-kites/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/artificial-light-at-night-is-altering-foraging-behaviour-in-kites/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Jun 2026 13:30:49 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[light pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urban birds]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/02115608/52735549020_6404c85225_4k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38468</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Birds, Cities and Towns, Ecology, Environment, Fishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Polycarp Joseph has been making annual visits to the Shaktikulangara and Vaddy fishing harbours in Kerala’s Kollam district, since 2019, to track birds. On his visits, Joseph, who is a district head for the Kerala State Annual Heronry Survey, an annual citizen-science monitoring project by the Kerala Bird Monitoring Network (KBM), counts active nests of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Polycarp Joseph has been making annual visits to the Shaktikulangara and Vaddy fishing harbours in Kerala’s Kollam district, since 2019, to track birds. On his visits, Joseph, who is a district head for the Kerala State Annual Heronry Survey, an annual citizen-science monitoring project by the Kerala Bird Monitoring Network (KBM), counts active nests of the little egret (Egretta garzetta). As part of this monitoring effort, he has visited both harbours after dark to study the effects of nighttime light pollution on these birds. It was on one such visit that he came across a few brahminy kites (Haliastur indus), a “strictly” diurnal (active during the day) raptor with a distinctive bright white head and rump, scavenging late at night at the Vaddy fishing harbour in Kollam. If it were late evening hours, he might have assumed that the kites were returning home or making one last foraging attempt, said Joseph. “The harbour [at night] is like a floodlit stadium, with LED lights in the auction yard and on boats, which allows these kites to perceive prey availability,” he added. On February 5, 2024, from 11 PM until 12:30 AM, Joseph recorded three brahminy kites flying in short circles above the harbour, diving to scoop fish from boats, and snatching discards from fishers. On subsequent nights, too, he observed one or two kites scavenging between 9 and 11 PM. This observation was recorded in a recent paper by a research team, including Joseph. According to the authors, this is the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/artificial-light-at-night-is-altering-foraging-behaviour-in-kites/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/artificial-light-at-night-is-altering-foraging-behaviour-in-kites/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Plastic litter and ghost nets threaten olive ridley hatchlings</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/plastic-litter-and-ghost-nets-threaten-olive-ridley-hatchlings/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/plastic-litter-and-ghost-nets-threaten-olive-ridley-hatchlings/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Apr 2026 12:26:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Phalguni Ranjan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breeding grounds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genetics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ghost nets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[olive ridleys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtle]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/27101831/Image-3_Riddle_of_Ridleys-scaled-e1777265683766-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37874</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Odisha]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Coast, Coastal erosion, Conservation, Environment, Fishing, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Sea Level Rise, Waste management, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Rushikulya rookery in Odisha’s Ganjam district is among the most important turtle rookeries in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) converge here to lay eggs in a synchronous mass nesting event or arribada, with almost 700,000 olive ridleys coming ashore to lay eggs in February 2025 alone. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Rushikulya rookery in Odisha’s Ganjam district is among the most important turtle rookeries in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) converge here to lay eggs in a synchronous mass nesting event or arribada, with almost 700,000 olive ridleys coming ashore to lay eggs in February 2025 alone. However, plastic pollution and its associated problems plague this important 10-km stretch along India’s eastern coastline. A recent study by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, reports significant presence of plastic waste and discarded fishing nets across four nesting beaches at Rushikulya, reflecting a global crisis of ever-increasing marine plastic pollution. Nesting among plastics Surveys across four nesting beaches — New Podampetta, Purunabandha, Siddhantnagar, and Prayagi — during the peak 2025 nesting season recorded more than 1,100 litter items, over 85% of which were plastic. The presence of plastic bottles, wrappers, and bags indicated both land-based runoff and direct human activity as key sources. Fisheries-related debris, including discarded nets, thermocol, and nylon rope fragments — collectively termed as ‘ghost gear’ or abandoned, lost, and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) — made up 41% of all recorded litter across all sites. Fishing nets alone made up around 32% of the recorded litter at New Podampetta, while thermocol too contributed a little over 31% at Siddhantnagar. Olive ridley turtles being released to the sea at Visakhapatnam. Representative image by Drashokk via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Concerningly, standardised environmental quality indices like the Plastic Abundance Index&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/plastic-litter-and-ghost-nets-threaten-olive-ridley-hatchlings/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/plastic-litter-and-ghost-nets-threaten-olive-ridley-hatchlings/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Experts divided over reintroducing captive-bred gharials in rivers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Feb 2026 17:16:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rajeev Tyagi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquatic life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[captive animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[captive breeding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gharials]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/04152632/Gharial-release-scaled-e1770199257557-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36736</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered species, Extinction, Fishing, Mining, Reptiles, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In February 2024, 37 juvenile gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) were transported 550 kilometres from the Rasikbeel Mini Zoo to the banks of the Ganga River in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The gharials, which were born out of a captive breeding programme in late 2021, were sheltered individually in ventilated PVC pipes. During the 15-hour overnight trip, forest [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In February 2024, 37 juvenile gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) were transported 550 kilometres from the Rasikbeel Mini Zoo to the banks of the Ganga River in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The gharials, which were born out of a captive breeding programme in late 2021, were sheltered individually in ventilated PVC pipes. During the 15-hour overnight trip, forest staff sprinkled the animals with water every one to two hours to maintain hydration. For the species, it was a return to a historic home. For the conservationists present, it was a moment of &#8220;quiet satisfaction&#8221;, Shahnawaz Khan, the Lead for Aquatic Habitats at WWF-India, said in an email response to Mongabay-India. Khan recalls that there was concern about the animals&#8217; condition after the long journey and the team watched with relief as the gharials, “observed to be alert, responsive, and in good health”, paused briefly before crawling into the river. The reintroduction project was a coordinated effort between the West Bengal Forest Directorate and WWF-India. A recent report, published in the journal Reptiles &amp; Amphibians, outlines the project aimed at enhancing the likelihood of long-term survival of the gharials in the lower Ganga Basin. The gharial’s population has significantly declined over the years due to loss from water impoundment, sand mining, hunting, and intensive fishing. Only about 650 adult gharials remain in the wild. A gharial spotted in the Chambal river, where 77-80% of the global adult gharial population is found. Its population has significantly declined over the years due to loss from water&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/experts-divided-over-reintroducing-captive-bred-gharials-in-rivers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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						<item>
					<title>Study explores social media as a tool to track shark and ray consumption</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/study-explores-social-media-as-a-tool-to-track-shark-and-ray-consumption/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/study-explores-social-media-as-a-tool-to-track-shark-and-ray-consumption/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Feb 2026 16:55:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shark]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/02190409/Rhizoprionodon_acutus_mangalore2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36701</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Fish, Fishing, Food, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It was March 2020, and the COVID-19 lockdown had begun. Divya Karnad and her colleagues at InSeason Fish — an initiative promoting sustainable seafood consumption in India — could no longer approach fish landing centres or seafood restaurants for their work. They turn to social media and to their surprise, unearth a plethora of insightful [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It was March 2020, and the COVID-19 lockdown had begun. Divya Karnad and her colleagues at InSeason Fish — an initiative promoting sustainable seafood consumption in India — could no longer approach fish landing centres or seafood restaurants for their work. They turn to social media and to their surprise, unearth a plethora of insightful photos of sharks and rays along India’s coastline. Posts from tourists, seafood consumers, fishers and others revealed a host of marine species — many that were on the IUCN Red List, and some that rarely even found adequate representation in existing scientific research. “The lockdown led to this sudden boom of photographs being posted from fish markets and fish landing sites. There were selfies with baby sharks in the background, or photos of menus and dishes from restaurants,” says Karnad, who has been researching marine fisheries since 2010 and is a co-founder of InSeason Fish. Karnad is now based at the University of Exeter in the U.K. The team analysed 1,293 elasmobranch-related posts, from six social media and citizen science platforms, uploaded from all coastal states. The findings were published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, in November 2025. Elasmobranchs are a subclass of cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes) which include sharks and rays. The paper suggests that digital media can fill several gaps left by research to better understand not only elasmobranchs, but also the larger class of cartilaginous fish in India. Some of these gaps include a focus on charismatic species (such as the whale&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/study-explores-social-media-as-a-tool-to-track-shark-and-ray-consumption/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>A Lakshadweep island’s strategic value worries conservationists and fishers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jan 2026 21:19:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/27120512/A_catch_of_groupers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36636</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Land Rights, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of over 3,600 fish in over four hectares — an area roughly the size of five football fields. “This was between two and six times higher than any density previously recorded across south-east Asia,” recalled Karkarey, who is now a senior research associate at Lancaster University, U.K. Geographically, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep comprises 12 atolls, three reefs, and five submerged banks. Out of a total of 36 islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago, with a total area of 32 sq km, only ten are inhabited. Among them Bitra is a tiny shark-fin-shaped strip of sand that is home to just about 271 people. The island is 570 metres in length and 280 m at its widest point, with an area of 0.105 sq km. The smallest inhabited island of the archipelago with its ecologically-sensitive marine landscape, Bitra is now under spotlight. The Lakshadweep administration is planning to take over the island, because of its strategic location, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation. The islanders however, say this is “land-grabbing” for tourism, trade and development, especially in the post-COVID-19 tourism boom. “The islanders have been fishing here for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Traditional fishers turn rescuers in a win for declining marine wildlife [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/traditional-fishers-turn-rescuers-in-a-win-for-declining-marine-wildlife-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/traditional-fishers-turn-rescuers-in-a-win-for-declining-marine-wildlife-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Jan 2026 14:38:21 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[I. SanthanamariM. Fathima HannaM. Soubadra DevyMaria Antony P.Teresa Scholastica ThomasVinod M. Kumar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bycatch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dolphins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turtles]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://india.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36616</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Conservation, Fish, Fishing, Human Wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“Neither turtles nor dolphins harm us when we rescue them. Many people from our village have saved them before. They cooperate with us and do not cause any trouble,” says Sheenik Abdullah, a 23-year-old fisher-rescuer from Valinokkam in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu. Fishers along the Gulf of Mannar coast in southern Tamil Nadu once caught [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“Neither turtles nor dolphins harm us when we rescue them. Many people from our village have saved them before. They cooperate with us and do not cause any trouble,” says Sheenik Abdullah, a 23-year-old fisher-rescuer from Valinokkam in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu. Fishers along the Gulf of Mannar coast in southern Tamil Nadu once caught marine animals, including the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), and dugong (Dugong dugon). Today, many of them are recognised for protecting the very species they once pursued. This shift reflects a gradual reworking of human-marine relations, shaped by experiential learning at sea, locally grounded ecological knowledge, and state-led conservation incentives. In villages such as Keelamundal, Valinokam, and Mel Mundal, conservation is enacted through everyday decisions made on the shore and during fishing trips. A changing tide The waves crash loudly against the shore of Keelamundal as seagulls, known locally as kadal kaka, hover low above the surf. Fishing nets lie spread across the sand, mended by men and women who do not pause their work even as rain falls. Boats returning from the morning’s fishing trip are pulled ashore using tractors, while ice-filled storage boxes are opened to sort the catch ahead of evening sales. Fishers sort through the day’s catch in Keelamundal. The catch is carefully removed from the nets and collected into baskets and crates. Image by Vinod Kumar. For generations, the hunting of marine animals&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/traditional-fishers-turn-rescuers-in-a-win-for-declining-marine-wildlife-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>India’s fisheries budget misses the ocean for the fish [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/indias-latest-fisheries-budget-misses-the-ocean-for-the-fish-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/indias-latest-fisheries-budget-misses-the-ocean-for-the-fish-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Dec 2025 12:30:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ajay Sawant]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish population]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/22115040/7168726622_499a2276df_o-e1766384830475-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36178</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Fish, Fishing, Mangroves, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India’s 2025-26 budget positions the country as a global seafood market with more than ₹2,700 crores (₹27 billion) allocated to fisheries in the budget released earlier this year. The government also aims to double seafood exports from ₹600 billion to ₹1 trillion by 2029. The ambition is that deep-sea fishing vessels, tuna clusters in the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India’s 2025-26 budget positions the country as a global seafood market with more than ₹2,700 crores (₹27 billion) allocated to fisheries in the budget released earlier this year. The government also aims to double seafood exports from ₹600 billion to ₹1 trillion by 2029. The ambition is that deep-sea fishing vessels, tuna clusters in the Andaman Islands, pole-and-line tuna in Lakshadweep, seaweed farming, and women’s self-help groups will drive the idea of a sustainable blue economy and inclusive growth. But as we look through critical lenses, an important question that arises is whether mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs show up in it – and if the day-to-day budget decisions are keeping pace with what’s promised on paper. At present, the imbalance is stark. The National Coastal Mission, which funds mangrove and wetland conservation across Indian coasts, received only ₹12.50 crores (₹125 million) in the 2023-24 budget, with Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats &amp; Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), the flagship mangrove program launched on World Environment Day 2023, being fragmented into small, state-level allocations. Tamil Nadu, for instance, was given ₹2.20 crores (₹22 million) over six years for restoration at Pichavaram. So, the nearly ₹2,704 crores (₹27 billion) flowing toward fisheries expansion, mechanised vessel acquisition, and deep-sea fishing in “under-utilised” waters is a weird math. India is spending roughly 200 times more on extractive fishing than on protecting the ecosystems that produce them. Such spending reflects a profound imbalance in priorities. Science supports the concern. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/indias-latest-fisheries-budget-misses-the-ocean-for-the-fish-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Whale shark rescues gain momentum along India’s west coast</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/whale-shark-rescues-gain-momentum-along-indias-west-coast/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/whale-shark-rescues-gain-momentum-along-indias-west-coast/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Nov 2025 13:15:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artisanal fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rescue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/28110026/21051-scaled-e1764307891217-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35814</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Community based conservation, Conservation, Ecology, Ecosystem services, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, and Overfishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a March morning in Poonthura, near Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, a group of fishermen were hauling their kambavala — a traditional stake-net fixed between bamboo poles driven into the seabed to trap fish in the tidal flow. Their net caught something immense. A dark, speckled shadow thrashed inside the mesh. As they drew closer, they [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a March morning in Poonthura, near Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram, a group of fishermen were hauling their kambavala — a traditional stake-net fixed between bamboo poles driven into the seabed to trap fish in the tidal flow. Their net caught something immense. A dark, speckled shadow thrashed inside the mesh. As they drew closer, they saw the white-dotted back and cavernous mouth of a whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the world’s largest fish, trapped in the bamboo frame and nylon webbing. For a moment, they hesitated. A torn net could mean a month’s lost income for these small fishers. Yet, saving the net would mean killing the creature. On the shore stood Ajit Shanghumukhom, a fisher community representative and a Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)-trained volunteer who made the call. “We can’t let it die,” he said. For half an hour, the fishermen worked with knives and ropes, cutting the net section by section. The water frothed as the whale shark struggled. And when it finally slipped free, the sea fell silent. The fishing net floated like a wound on the water, but the men smiled. They had lost their income but gained something greater — the feeling that the sea itself had been restored. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the world’s largest fish, once caught and slaughtered rampantly along India&#8217;s coast for its liver oil and meat. Image courtesy of Wildlife Trust of India. Fishers turn stewards of conservation Two decades ago, India’s west coast told a much darker&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/whale-shark-rescues-gain-momentum-along-indias-west-coast/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Documentaries rooted in land, water and culture, shine at DIFF</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/documentaries-rooted-in-land-water-and-culture-shine-at-diff/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/documentaries-rooted-in-land-water-and-culture-shine-at-diff/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Nov 2025 10:16:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Megha Acharya]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DIFF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[documentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[film festival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Films]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/18015047/IMG_5586-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35619</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The India Water Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Fishing, Hydroelectric power, Indigenous Peoples, and Mountains]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This year, at the 14th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF 2025), held in Dharamshala, from October 30 to November 2, a brilliant set of fiction and non-fiction films from all over the world were screened. Of these, three documentaries stood out, for the way they portrayed people, landscapes, and the transformations shaping [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This year, at the 14th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF 2025), held in Dharamshala, from October 30 to November 2, a brilliant set of fiction and non-fiction films from all over the world were screened. Of these, three documentaries stood out, for the way they portrayed people, landscapes, and the transformations shaping our world. The form that each of these films experimented with, added nuance to the issues they discussed, and made the audience look at realities that are often overlooked.  From Mumbai&#8217;s Koliwada – a fishing village that is transforming into a metropolis, to Lohari &#8211; a village in Uttarakhand submerged beneath the waters of the Vyasi hydroelectric dam, and a tribal community restoring an ancient well near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, these films reveal how stories of land and water are actually stories of people and their culture. Tuning into the soundscapes of Koliwada Last Night I Dreamed It Was Raining Fish by Shraddha Khanna is a 16-minute-long short documentary in Marathi, that traces the story of Mumbai through the memories of the Kolis, an indigenous community in the city.   The film begins with a shot of the sea, as the voice-over of an old fisherwoman struggles to recall when the Kolis first became part of this land. It has simply been too long. What follows is a fable rooted in Koli history that refers to ancient gods and the kings who ruled the city. Through the narration of the elderly fisherwoman, chatter of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/documentaries-rooted-in-land-water-and-culture-shine-at-diff/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Hydrocarbon exploration sparks protest over livelihood and environmental concerns</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/hydrocarbon-exploration-sparks-protest-over-livelihood-and-environmental-concerns/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/hydrocarbon-exploration-sparks-protest-over-livelihood-and-environmental-concerns/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Oct 2025 17:19:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oil exploration]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/24110039/affected-agri-land-at-Keelasiruputhu-near-Ramanathapuram-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35197</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Carbon emissions, Energy, Fish, Fishing, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Industry, Oil, and Rivers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When the early morning sun glinted off the nets drying along Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram coast in late September, it illuminated a sight both familiar and defiant in the state’s environmental history: fishers and farmers standing shoulder to shoulder, holding placards against the latest attempt to drill beneath their land and sea. They were protesting against [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When the early morning sun glinted off the nets drying along Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram coast in late September, it illuminated a sight both familiar and defiant in the state’s environmental history: fishers and farmers standing shoulder to shoulder, holding placards against the latest attempt to drill beneath their land and sea. They were protesting against an environmental clearance issued by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), which authorised the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to drill 20 exploratory wells in an offshore block, a designated area in the water, near Ramanathapuram district. In the wake of the protests, the state government has asked the SEIAA to withdraw the clearance and the next course of action is awaited. The clearance to ONGC was issued in March. As per usual practice, the project documents are supposed to be accessible to the public on platforms such as the Parivesh portal which displays environmental clearances for projects. But the documents for this project were not accessible say local activists and environmentalists. A few months later, in August, SEIAA formally posted the approval online which then drew immediate attention, leading to mass protests across Ramanathapuram and surrounding areas. For the government, it was a technical approval. For the people of Ramanathapuram, it was a move against their soil, water, and survival as their livelihoods depend on the landscape. From Keezhakarai in the east to Mudukulathur in the west, fishers, farmers, priests, and students gathered in small but resolute assemblies. “Oil-free Tamil Nadu is our&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/hydrocarbon-exploration-sparks-protest-over-livelihood-and-environmental-concerns/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>India needs a marine litter policy as plastic waste chokes corals</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Sep 2025 13:29:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. V. Padma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine plastic debris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/19123751/Coral_reef_Elephant_Beach_Andaman_07-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34699</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Coral Reefs, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, Plastic, Pollution, Waste management, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Plastic debris and derelict fishing gear are “entangling” and “smothering” corals reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are home to some of India’s most pristine coral reefs and with endemic fauna and flora, a new marine survey shows. The survey aimed to provide critical data on the impacts of marine litter and derelict [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Plastic debris and derelict fishing gear are “entangling” and “smothering” corals reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that are home to some of India’s most pristine coral reefs and with endemic fauna and flora, a new marine survey shows. The survey aimed to provide critical data on the impacts of marine litter and derelict fishing gear on the critically endangered coral reefs in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, recognised as highly biodiverse yet underrepresented in global marine pollution studies. The findings add to recent studies highlighting an increasing amount of plastic litter and derelict fishing gear in global oceans, which pose significant threats to corals and reef-associated marine biota. The survey, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, was conducted by the Mahatma Gandhi Government College in Andaman and Nicobar Islands; regional centres under the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Port Blair and Thiruvanathapuram; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Institute of Oceanography, Goa; and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad. Plastic was the most dominant litter, forming about 60% of the litter in the reefs, the survey found. Derelict fishing gear made mostly of plastic comprised about one-third of the total litter. Indicators such as the plastic abundance index (PAI), hazardous item index (HII), and clean environment index (CEI) to assess the ecological impact of marine litter highlighted “significant risks” posed by marine litter to the reefs. The scientists report that their findings help “strengthen the assessment&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/india-needs-a-marine-litter-policy-as-plastic-waste-chokes-corals/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>India’s nearshore fisheries overlap with shark and ray habitats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/indias-nearshore-fisheries-overlap-with-shark-and-ray-habitats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/indias-nearshore-fisheries-overlap-with-shark-and-ray-habitats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2025 14:53:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rupsy Khurana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishermen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shark]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/18130724/A-variety-of-sharks-and-rays-are-caught-in-non-selective-gears-such-as-trawler.-Credit_Imran-Samad-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34675</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Fish, Fishing, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Along the sun-baked shores of India, where fishing boats dot the horizon and seafood fuels local economies and communities, small-scale fishing is more than a livelihood — it’s a way of life for millions of fishers. Globally, small-scale fisheries support 90% of the world’s fishing population and account for at least 40% of the global [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Along the sun-baked shores of India, where fishing boats dot the horizon and seafood fuels local economies and communities, small-scale fishing is more than a livelihood — it’s a way of life for millions of fishers. Globally, small-scale fisheries support 90% of the world’s fishing population and account for at least 40% of the global fish catch. Often overshadowed by industrial fleets, small-scale fishing is widely seen as more sustainable. Yet its scale tells a different story. Globally, more than 75% of coastal/elasmobranchs — sharks, rays and guitar fish — are threatened with extinction due to nearshore fisheries which are small-scale fishing activities that typically occur within a few kilometres from the shoreline. They overlap with critical habitats for sharks and rays, placing some of the ocean’s most vulnerable creatures at risk. Sharks are routinely caught as part of almost every type of marine fishery, from small traditional boats to large industrial trawlers. India, once the world’s second-largest shark-catching nation, now ranks third. But this drop reflects declining populations, not reduced fishing pressure. With late maturation, slow growth and reproduction, elasmobranchs are vulnerable to fishing pressures and can struggle to recover once depleted. A recent study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, examined what drives nearshore elasmobranch catch at two major landing sites — Visakhapatnam on the east coast and Malvan on the west. They found that catch patterns are shaped by local factors such as species ecology, fishing gear diversity, number of fishing vessels, fishing frequency and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/indias-nearshore-fisheries-overlap-with-shark-and-ray-habitats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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