Monsoon Fishing Ban in Maharashtra: What Fish to Buy in June and July

Every year, Maharashtra bans mechanised fishing boats at sea from June 1 to July 31. These 61 days are the main breeding season for many fish, and the sea is rough during the monsoon. So less sea fish lands in June and July, and prices for popular fish like surmai and pomfret usually go up.

This guide explains what changes during the ban and what to buy instead.

What the ban covers

Who: mechanised (motorised) fishing boats along the Maharashtra coast.
When: June 1 to July 31 each year.
Why: to let fish breed, and for safety in monsoon seas.

Small traditional boats and inland fishing are treated differently, so some fish keeps arriving. But there is much less sea fish, and what you see may have been caught before the ban and stored.

What this means for buyers

Less choice of large sea fish. Surmai, pomfret and rawas are harder to find and usually cost more.
More stored stock in the market. Fish caught before June 1 may be kept chilled or frozen and sold during the ban. Stored fish is not unsafe, but it is not the same as fish landed that morning. Ask the seller.
Freshwater and farmed fish are steady. Rivers and ponds are not part of the sea ban.

Good choices during the ban

Rohu and katla (freshwater): good for curry and fry.
Farmed prawns: available through the monsoon.
Basa and other farmed fish: mild, boneless and easy for children.

The fish each seller has depends on their own supply that day. On Relifish, every seller lists only what they have, so during the ban you will simply see fewer sea-fish listings. See who is selling prawns, rohu or surmai right now.

How to check fish is fresh (any time of year)

Eyes: clear and full, not cloudy or sunken.
Gills: bright red or pink, not brown or grey.
Flesh: firm, and springs back when pressed. If your fingerprint stays, it is not fresh.
Smell: clean and of the sea, not sour or of ammonia.
Prawns: firm, with no black patches, and heads still attached.

If two of these fail, don’t cook it.

When the ban ends

Mechanised boats go back out from August 1. Sea fish like surmai, pomfret and bangda then start coming back, and prices usually ease over the following weeks as more boats return.

Ordering on Relifish during the monsoon

You can order same-day while a seller is open, or pre-order tonight for tomorrow. Pre-order prices are a range: you pay the top, and the difference is refunded once the seller sets the final price. If a seller can’t fill your order, you get a full refund. See how ordering works.

Sellers on Relifish currently serve parts of Thane, Tardeo and Kamothe.

Questions? WhatsApp 9152207607 (7:30 AM to 9 PM) or email relifishstore@gmail.com.

→ See which sellers serve you