Shivanasamudram Fish Sanctuary on Karnataka’s Cauvery River is a pioneering effort to protect a fragile aquatic ecosystem from habitat loss and unregulated fishing. On a crisp morning by the rushing waters of the Cauvery, fisherman Manjunath crouches at the riverbank, his eyes scanning the currents. “When I was a boy, my grandfather told me these waters were alive,” he says, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “He knew where the fish would hide and when they would appear. Back then, we never took more than we needed. But now, I see fewer fish and the river feels different. People take as much as they can and it shows.”