Mukta Patil, Projects Editor at The Locavore, curates a list of essential readings on sustainable fishing and the Koli community.
Did you know that half dry bombay duck is called ‘bombil from the bamboos’, locally in Mumbai? And the fully dried ones are ‘sukkat’? That the Sassoon Dock is almost 150 years old? Or that along the Indian coast, sea levels have risen by 8.5 centimetres in the past 50 years?
Learn about this, and more, in this curated reading list about the shrinking coastline of Mumbai, livelihoods at risk, how to consume seafood more sustainably, and the resilience of the Koli community as they face up to climate change and other pressures.
Addressing the tensions between traditional and modern fishing practices through a cinematic lens
1. An Interview with ‘Against the Tide’ Filmmaker Sarvnik Kaur
A conversation between director Sarvnik Kaur and journalist Dipankar Sarkar for Vague Visages, this interview moves from the influence of Jamia Milia Islamia on Sarvnik’s creative practice to why honing in on the craft of filmmaking with intent is a long drawn one. The tropes of class, environmental degradation, and shifting fishing practices show up in the film without judgement.
Why I love it: The choice of questions is engaging, and Sarvnik is forthcoming and frank in her opinions, making it a deeply felt read.
2. The shrinking pomfret of suburban Mumbai
Reported by Subuhi Jiwani for PARI (People’s Archive of Rural India), and set in Mumbai’s Versova Koliwada, this feature explores the many reasons for dwindling fish catch, ranging from pollution in the khadi to the climate crisis making its impact felt near-shore.
Why I love it: The piece threads the needle between scientific data and lived realities seamlessly, revealing how urban waste management, development policies, and scientific knowledge around concerns like overfishing cannot be spoken about separately.
Also read: Ganesh Nakhawa on Why He Won’t Be the Last Fisherman of Mumbai, where one of the protagonists of Against The Tide speaks about navigating tradition and technology, the shrinking coastlines of Mumbai, and what keeps him tied to the sea as a Koli fisherman.
Bhiu Nako (Don’t Be Afraid)–on Koli culture, foodways, and resilience
1. Through the eyes of the Kolis: A Reflection of Mumbai’s Past, Present & Future
An archival photo journey of Mumbai’s Kolis, this exhibition presents the generational history of the Koli community, the relationship they share with their natural environment, and how it has altered over the years. The digital exhibit was created by Bombay61 Studio, in collaboration with the Ministry of Mumbai’s Magic and The Heritage Lab.
Why I love it: The archival photographs and maps presented in a scroll-able format make the long, complicated history of the Koli community accessible in ways that academic texts might not.
In this wonderful book for children written by Fleur D’Souza and illustrated by Kripa, and published by Pratham Books, Vandana, the young protagonist from the Koli community, shows us what the days and months look like for her and her family, who own two boats.
Why I love it: Kripa’s watercolour illustrations are stirring, and the stories of Mumbai’s Koliwadas that Vandana’s aaji (grandmother) narrates will keep you spellbound. If you’ve ever wondered where the name Bombay Duck comes from, or the history of the city’s docks, this is the book for you.
Also read: ‘Aai loved eating the really small fish’, where Shraddha Patil speaks of popular festive fares in Mumbai’s Worli Koliwada, feasting on kupa biryani, and the ways of communal cooking.
Fishy Business—how can we make better, smarter seafood choices?
1. Seasonal Calendar: InSeason Fish
Put together by InSeason Fish, a sustainable seafood initiative, this resource allows consumers to choose alternative seafood while their favourite fishes breed. If more people follow this, we can continue to eat our favourite seafood treats year after year.
2. Make Your Own Calendar: Know Your Fish
Taking the idea of the seafood calendar a step further, Know Your Fish, a voluntary initiative that works towards an ocean-friendly lifestyle, invites consumers to make their own custom sustainable calendar based on their preferences.
Why I love these: Easy to understand, these resources allow consumers the opportunity and agency to make better eating choices. I find it to be a small, yet powerful way to work towards collectively changing our seafood landscape.
Also read: The Marine Conservationist Reviving Lost Connections, where Divya Karnad, co-founder of InSeason Fish, speaks about helping people identify different species of fish, and raising awareness on eating locally and seasonally.
Busting myths and reimagining the waters of a coastal city
1. Walk through Mumbai’s oldest dock, meet its fishing community
Put together by Dnyaneshwari Burghate and Jashvitha Dhagey on Question of Cities, this photo essay captures moments from Mumbai’s over-a-century-old Sassoon Dock.
Why I love it: The essay showcases the everyday life of fisherfolk, and combines them with historical tidbits, while representing the frenzy, joys, and colours of the largest wholesale fish market in Mumbai.
2. Inhabited Sea: Reimagining Mumbai in Wetness
Architects Anuradha Mathur and Dilip da Cunha call for a reimagining of Mumbai as a “relentlessly wet terrain”. They speculate that Mumbai is an estuary that works between two wetnesses: the monsoons and the sea. This prompts them to ask—what might it mean to design Mumbai amidst these two gradients of wetness?
‘Inhabited Sea,’ a collaborative project, looks at how the associations between land and water are imagined and designed in coastal cities.
Why I love it: The sheer range of projects, and the depth and sensitivity with which they have been approached is extremely inspiring—this resource is a world in itself. I especially enjoyed reading through Intertidal Living, and The Sea and the City.
Also read: The Changing Tides of the Worli Koliwada, where Sreyasi Mukherjee walks through this 800-year-old fishing village in Mumbai, and senses a loss permeating the seascape.
Mukta Patil is Projects Editor at The Locavore. She works on stories that spotlight the intricacies of our food systems, and how they interact with the climate emergency, the environment, and people.
Learn more about the Mumbai Koli Project here.
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