India, April 5 -- It's a most unusual kind of murder. Most of us know the victim as the 'paplet', more precisely the baby silver pomfret. Stuffed, fried, and the star of a rich coconut gravy, the pomfret takes centre stage on seafood menus and dinner tables, often fetching an exorbitant Rs.500-600 apiece in Mumbai's fish markets.

The 'murder' isn't just an oblique reference to its appearance on our dinner plates but to an illegal catch of baby silver pomfrets in Vasai taluka in Palghar district on April 2 and 3. The state fisheries department has initiated criminal proceedings against two boat owners found in possession of this banned catch, as fishing for the baby silver pomfret is prohibited (see box).

The action is a signal that the ...