“We’re Not Just Sourcing Fish, We’re Restoring Ecosystems And Protecting Livelihoods”

The alarming increase in water pollution and sightings of plastics in the stomachs of fish have raised seafood safety concerns, with many studies linking contaminated fish to serious health risks. To counter this, Dam Good Fish is setting up a cleaner, traceable seafood supply chain by dealing directly with local fishermen in India. Co-founder Shailesh Patel leads the mission for the promotion of naturally raised seafood without antibiotics to commercialisation while also providing fishermen communities with better livelihood opportunities. In an interview with ResponsibleUs, Gaur shared his views on social impact and food safety, highlighting ethical seafood sourcing, sustainable aquaculture, and launching a mission-driven business.

What made you start DamGoodFish, the strategy behind it, and your journey so far.
Dam Good Fish started when I entered the business of reservoir fisheries. Reservoirs, as you know, are large water bodies used primarily by the government for irrigation. But from a fisheries perspective, they’re still underutilised.

Around these reservoirs, there are many fishing communities who rely on catching fish for their daily livelihood. During the lockdown, I started taking some of these reservoirs on long-term lease from the government and began fish cultivation. Normally, we catch the fish and sell them in wholesale markets. But during the lockdown, I thought—why not pivot?

That’s when the idea of Dam Good Fish came in—to build a retail model with full traceability. Most people eat fish without knowing where it comes from—whether it’s from a river, pond, reservoir, or coastal area. So, with Dam Good Fish, we decided to offer traceable freshwater fish, mainly from reservoirs, rivers, and ponds. Of course, we also offer marine fish now, but we started with freshwater.

Now, we also work with coastal fishing communities, in the same way we work with those near reservoirs. These are people whose lives revolve around the sea—fishing, returning to the shore to sell for a few days, and going back again. Our aim is to improve their livelihoods and simultaneously provide consumers with high-quality, traceable protein.

Do you breed these fish in the reservoirs yourself?
In many cases we do. Some reservoirs are managed directly by the government and assigned to local fishermen, who catch and supply the fish to us. In other cases, we lease the reservoirs, stock them with fish seed, and then work with the fishermen for harvesting.

Many fishermen don’t have the resources to invest in seed stocking or equipment. We support them by providing seed, boats, and nets. This not only improves their catch but also ensures better quality and yield.

How do you ensure the water quality and ecological sustainability in dams, especially since most water bodies today are contaminated?
When we talk about water in fisheries, we have two categories: marine and freshwater. With marine ecosystems, we don't have much direct control, but we do educate fishermen on sustainable practices—like avoiding plastic waste or not dumping garbage at sea. We also raise awareness among coastal communities and businesses to protect marine health.

For freshwater, which accounts for about 60% of the fish consumed in India, we pay very close attention. Large reservoirs are frequently naturally refilled with pure rainfall during the monsoon season. Because the water in certain reservoirs is so pure, many anglers even drink it straight.

The worst pollution comes from industrial sources, which introduce poisons that kill aquatic life. Thus, we try to ensure that any adjacent companies are not discharging untreated trash into the lake. To control such sources, we actively monitor and collaborate with authorities.

The water in reservoirs usually has the best natural balance—good pH levels and healthy oxygen content. The fish get natural food from this water, which means we don’t need to add anything artificial. So yes, we make sure there are no chemical hazards entering the water.

Most of these reservoirs are surrounded by villages. We have started connecting with farmers in these areas and are also educating them about organic farming. They already have the natural resources—clean air, abundant water, and distance from urban waste. We just need to guide them to preserve that ecosystem.

What challenges do you face in ensuring ethical sourcing of fish? How do you trace where your fish come from?
First, let me clarify that the government builds dams and reservoirs for irrigation, not for fisheries. Fisheries become an additional source of income for the government. Fortunately, the government is very supportive of the fisheries sector today—whether it's encouraging entrepreneurs or helping local fishermen.
We don’t face major challenges. In fact, there are subsidies available for setting up hatcheries, creating ponds, and improving seed supply. This helps maintain the ecosystem and ensures that the stock is replenished. Fishermen can catch fish sustainably year after year.

In terms of ethical sourcing, we ensure traceability. If the fish comes from a dam in Jhansi or Mirzapur, we tell the customer exactly that. We don’t overfish—we catch only what’s needed and seed the reservoirs regularly. Our goal is to balance livelihood, sustainability, and quality. That’s our ethical approach, and it builds trust with customers.

Compared to traditional pond-based aquaculture, how does the dam-based system impact biodiversity and fish quality?
In traditional inland fisheries, farmers dig small ponds and use submersible pumps to fill them with groundwater. That water often becomes stagnant and is hard to refresh. Over time, it affects the water quality—and since fish live entirely in water, the quality of fish goes down.
Reservoirs, on the other hand, are naturally replenished every year during the monsoon with fresh rainwater. The scale is larger, and the water is clean. That makes a huge difference to both fish health and taste.

Maintaining freshness is critical for Dam Good Fish. How does your cold chain work—from harvest to delivery—and what technology do you use to maintain temperature?
Freshness is everything for us. I’ll also tie this back to your earlier point about reducing waste. In India, even with grain storage, a lot of food gets wasted due to poor supply chain infrastructure.
At Dam Good Fish, we make sure that any fish caught is handled properly right from the beginning. We have multiple sales channels to ensure its sold quickly. That’s one reason why we went retail—so we have control over last-mile delivery.

We maintain cold chain logistics from dam to customer, using insulated and refrigerated systems that keep the temperature between 0 to 4°C. This helps preserve the fish’s quality, texture, and safety. Our operations are tightly managed so that no fish is wasted, and customers get the best product.

Mumbai is already a fish hub. How do you see your offering fitting in there?
We are planning for our next locations Bangalore and Mumbai. And both cities have per capita consumption of Fish approximately 12 kg which is 3 times higher to Delhi -NCR. Mumbai is a coastal city with ports, and marine fish dominates. Irrespective of the fact that it is a highly densely populated area, freshwater fish continues to have a sizeable market, particularly among northern and eastern migratory communities. There is a lot of room for both freshwater and marine fish to coexist in Mumbai and Bangalore, which is undoubtedly a high-volume market.

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