Mumbai fog spreads to sea, pushes fish to warmer waters 200km away | India News

MUMBAI: Kashinath Bhoir has not returned to the Versova jetty for a week – he and many other fishermen have ventured nearly 100 nautical miles (about 185 kilometres) into the sea to secure their catch. Dnyanesh, his brother, says the fog that covered a vast expanse of the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai last week has caused fish to move out of their usual range of 15 to 20 nautical miles near the coast and into waters warmer.
A Met official said easterly winds have driven the fog from Mumbai towards the sea. It currently extends 40 to 50 nautical miles out to sea, reducing visibility to 2 km for fishing vessels.
According to the president of the fishermen’s association, Devendra Tandel and Rajhans Tapke, fishing boats and trawlers are forced to consume significant fuel reserves to travel up to 100 nautical miles (India’s territorial waters extend up to 200 nautical miles) . As fish migrate to warmer waters, catches decline and prices rise in city markets.
Fluctuating weather patterns have altered fish migration routes, with the Bombay duck, typically caught near Versova, now lying beyond Palghar towards Gujarat. Similarly, sardines have moved northwards from Konkan towards south Mumbai, they said, highlighting that these alterations in patterns are directly related to climatic conditions. According to Tandel, permits have traveled far beyond the waters of Mumbai.
Tapke noted that the recent collision between a fishing vessel and a cargo ship occurred due to poor visibility caused by dense smog near the coast. Explaining the weather phenomenon, Kamble said the easterly wind traveling towards the western coast is carrying dust and pollutants from various parts of the state, pushing the smog over the Mumbai region towards the sea. “This time it is not just pollution from Mumbai, but from other surrounding urban areas as the wind blows from the countryside towards the coast,” he said. It may be noted that the widespread smog over Mumbai is mainly due to substantial moisture that flowed with the interaction of easterly, northerner and westerly winds over Maharashtra, leading to condensation.
The initial foggy condition, which was due to the drop in temperature, transformed into widespread smog in recent days, as intense humidity and insufficient wind speed forced dust and smoke from vehicles, garbage and construction works to remain suspended in the air. However, since Monday the smog has been dissipating rapidly.
Tandel, head of the Maharashtra All Fishermen’s Action Committee, said the cost of fuel and ice for cold storage, rationing and maintenance of a boat has increased substantially over the last week, leading to a increase in fish prices. He said that as the ships were arriving late, there had also been a shortage. “The cost of Bombay duck has more than doubled, while pomfret and surmai are 30-35% more expensive. If the same time continues, the increase could be higher,” Tapke added.