On a sweltering Mumbai afternoon, fish seller Nayana Patil grabbed an unsold pomfret from her counter, noting the price per kilo had tripled in the last fortnight.

¡°Now who will buy it for 1,500 rupees ($19.79)?¡± she asked indignantly, holding the silver fish up by its tail.

As a few customers eyed the fish on display like exhibits in a museum, Patil blamed a sudden spike in Mumbai temperatures for a drop in fish-catch volumes, arguing she should be compensated for her falling income due to the erratic weather.