Did you know there is a ban on fishing in the monsoon season? And did you know they say you are not supposed to eat fish in months that don’t contain an ‘r’ in their names?
So does that mean all the fish you eat during your trip to Goa or Mumbai in the monsoon is all frozen from the last month?
Well, not really, although there is a ban on fishing activities during the monsoon season, a time which is the breeding period for fish, Goans still make sure that they have their fill of fish and rice each day!
Since fishing at this time is detrimental to the procreation of fish, locals venture into sweet waters with canoes and cast their nets to catch fresh water fish. There are several fish species that are found during the rains in lakes and ponds.
Therefore you see most fishermen switching to angling in the monsoon months. This also happens to be one of the most favorite pass times for locals.
Despite the ban on fishing during the monsoon the reason why you still continue to get fresh fish along the west is because the fish is coming from elsewhere in India.
Peter Biswas who has been in the fish selling business for the last 12yrs prefers his promfrets and crabs and surmais coming in from the Vishakapattam and Kolkata during the monsoons. “We have a much better cold chain in India now,” says Peter. “Most boats that go out have chilling/freezing facilities on the boat itself, which makes it safer than it was before, and therefore okay to eat during these months. Also, it was hard for fishermen to venture out in rough weather, making fish difficult to access but today technology makes it easier for us to get seafood all year round. But obviously it makes fish a little more expensive than usual.”
So come rain and monsoons, it shouldn’t hamper your plans of eating spicy and savory fish, be it while you’re travelling to the coast or are sitting back in Delhi.
