What's for lunch today? Surmai, Pomfret or Prawns?

Scientists say the more important question might be: Is this the right time to have this fish?

Along India's coasts, the answer could influence the future of the sea.

It is this question that sits at the heart ofKnow Your Fish (KYF), a voluntary initiative that encourages people to choose seafood based on its natural breeding cycles rather than year-round availability.

But can changing what's on our plates really make a difference?

To find out, The Better India spoke with marine biologists Pooja Rathod and Mayuresh Gangal, who co-founded the initiative, along with marine scientist Dr Rohan Arthur, Mumbai fisherman Ganesh Nakhawa, and restaurateur Ilvika Chandavarkar. Together, they believe that while seasonal seafood is no silver bullet, it can be an important step towards protecting India's marine ecosystems.

A calendar built around the sea

Unlike seafood advisories that simply list endangered species, Know Your Fish takes a more practical approach.

Designed for India's west coast, its online calendar helps consumers identify which fish are breeding during different months and which species are best avoided during that time. "These recommendations incorporate information about breeding cycle, biological traits and vulnerability to overharvest"

Similar guidance for India's east coast is currently being developed.

"Our intention isn't to judge consumers or prescribe diets. It's to give people enough information to make informed choices because consumers, too, are part of the seafood system”, Gangal tells The Better India.

For Rathod, the bigger goal is to reconnect people with the ocean by making marine science accessible to everyday consumers.

"Conservation is often removed from people's daily lives. We wanted to reconnect people with the ocean through knowledge and make it a household conversation. When someone understands why a fish shouldn't be eaten during a particular season, they're in a better position to decide for themselves”.

“Each species is accompanied by information on its breeding cycle, biological traits, vulnerability and the months when reducing consumption could make the greatest difference,” she adds.

The founders are careful not to describe the calendar as a solution to every challenge facing India's fisheries.

"What began as conversations eventually became a calendar," says Gangal.

"It's a tool that tells people which fish are better avoided during certain months so we can collectively reduce our impact on marine ecosystems."

Instead, they see it as a starting point—one that brings fisheries science out of research papers and into everyday decisions.

That becomes especially important today because seafood is no longer eaten only where it is caught. Extensive cold-chain networks mean fish harvested in one region can appear in markets hundreds of kilometres away, making it easier than ever to buy species that may be in their breeding season elsewhere.

What do our traditions already know about the sea?

Long before sustainability became part of everyday conversations, many coastal communities were already eating with the seasons.

Take hilsa, for example. In many Bengali households, the prized fish traditionally disappears from the dining table after Saraswati Puja and returns only around the monsoon. Although improved transport and cold storage now make it available for much of the year, the custom has endured in many homes.

Were these traditions rooted in ecology rather........

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