The state government plans to demarcate 63 fish breeding zones along the coast in six talukas where water sports activities would not be allowed. The idea is to conserve fish species. The zones, which are sites where shell fish breeds, have been identified by the fisheries department and shall be demarcated using GPS (Global Positioning System) via Google maps. The fisheries department has submitted the details of the identified zones to the statutory authorities that oversee coastal reserve zones and implement the coastal zone management plan. These authorities would study the various aspects and parameters before undertaking a process of demarcation of zones. The areas would thereafter be notified by the government and the process of conservation and protection of these areas would be jointly managed by state and central authorities so as to create conditions for reestablishing a healthy marine life. Traditional fishermen have long been demanding such a plan from the government. It would be welcomed by them as it would remove the encroachment of the tourist activities into their occupational activities. The Goa government has been implementing a number of steps to conserve fish species. The state imposes a 61-day ban on fishing from the midnight of May 31 to the midnight of July 31. There are two objectives behind the fishing ban. One is to allow fish species to spawn during the period of the ban and the other to prevent fishermen from risking their lives in the choppy seas during the monsoon. However, such measures have not proven adequate. Marine scientists have been warning that Goa is sitting on the brink of a fish famine. According to them, a fish famine could hit because of natural causes such as climate change and decreased dissolved oxygen in the Arabian Sea as well as man-made causes like over-fishing and increased level of pollutants in rivers and sea waters. The scientists say mackerels have already taken flight from the Arabian Sea, a finding corroborated by the fisheries department. The fish that could be caught until some years ago a few hundred metres away from the Goan coast is now hard to find in those waters these days; fishermen have to go out to deep seas to catch it. The discharge of sewage in the river waters is a common sight and the river waters that flow into Arabian Sea are no more cleaner. Pollutants apparently have affected marine life and effect is also seen on shell fish breeding. Fish is an integral part of Goan diet. It is a part of the traditional food habit of the native communities. Fish has helped Goans get good nutrition. Over the years Goa has emerged as a major tourist destination; the demand for fish for tourist population from restaurants has added to the domestic demand. The rising demand is leading to over-fishing, which is leading to fish depletion. Fishermen use bull or pair trawling and LED (light emitting diode) lights despite the fact that they have been banned by state and central authorities. The fisheries department’s steps to stop it have been weak and ineffective. There is no alternative left for the fisheries department but to take harder and stronger measures to curb bull trawling and LED fishing. The systems for monitoring and penalisation have to be made deterrent or else a day might come when all the natural and man-made factors would combine to create a fish famine. Together with other fish, shell fish consumption is quite high in the state. In the past shell fish was extracted during the summer (especially during March, April and May). But over the years, those engaged in catching shell fish have been doing it virtually round the year. This is a clear case of over-fishing; the authorities need to control it before it is too late; there is a danger of the popular shell fish tisreos and khubes becoming extinct. As it might not be possible for the fisheries department to keep a track on the shell fish catching activity of every individual fisherman or group of fishermen, the responsibility should be given to the panchayats to create awareness among local fishermen and enforce the restrictions. The fishing community has to keep in mind that over-fishing could give money in the short term, but conservation of fish species with optimal fishing would guarantee sustenance in the long term. The trade associations of fishermen, both traditional as well as modern, cannot run away from the responsibility of spreading awareness among their members and getting them committed to balanced fishing. In it lies their future.