Where does blast fishing occur?

Asked by: Pat Kolandavel

Fishermen in the Philippines illegally toss bottle bombs into the sea to kill hundreds of fish at a time. The practice, called blast fishing, occurs on a large scale off the coast of Tanzania, where it’s been outlawed since 1970.

Where is blast fishing most popular?

Around the world, fishermen are using explosives, often with dynamite, to maximize their catch. Called blast fishing or dynamite fishing, the practice goes on in nations from Lebanon and Malaysia to the Philippines, while some countries—Kenya and Mozambique, for instance—have managed to stamp it out.

Where is dynamite fishing most popular?

Tanzania

Dynamite or blast fishing remains the most pervasive destructive fishing method in the coastal waters of Tanzania. It constitutes a major threat to small-scale fisheries through degradation of reefs and other critical habitats for fish.

How common is blast fishing?

Blast fishing occurs in over 40 countries worldwide. In Africa it has been particularly problematic in Tanzania, destroying Tanzania’s coral reefs and all the benefits they provide, and threatening the country’s international tourism industry as destroyed reefs and the danger of explosions drive tourists away.

What locations are vulnerable to dynamite fishing?

In southern Philippines, between Malaysia (Borneo) and Philippines (Palawan) illegal dynamite fishing is still a common practice. “Extensive hard-to-patrol including in marine reserves has made dynamite fishing uncontrollable in southern Philippines.

Does blast fishing still happen?

The practice is illegal worldwide, but it persists due to the challenges of detecting, responding and catching the perpetrators. In Sabah, action is urgently needed: “Blast fishing in the past years has badly affected the marine ecosystems,” said Terence Lim of Sabah and a founding member of Stop Fish Bombing!.

Why do people blast fishing?

Blast fishing, when dynamite or other explosives are used to stun or kill fish, is a practice used in many villages and isolated regions of the world. Hundreds of fish can be seen strewn across the reef, left as bycatch, such as these tropical fish in Thailand.

How do you know if a fish is caught through blast fishing?

To detect dynamited fish, investigators look for the following:

1. Blood oozing from the gill cover.
2. Signs of blood effusion are found at the base of the fins, abdomen, vent or anus.
3. Loosening of scales usually at the mid portion of the body.
4. Some internal organs are protruding out of the vent or anus.

Why is blast fishing bad?

Blast fishing destroys the calcium carbonate coral skeletons and is one of the continual disruptions of coral reefs. In the Indo-Pacific, the practice of blast fishing is the main cause of coral reef degradation. As a result, weakened rubble fields are formed and fish habitat is reduced.

What is the sources of dynamite fishing?

Dynamite fishing may be viewed as something that arose due to economic necessity. Marginal fishers who practice this unsustainable method of fishing appear to be victims of unfair competition imposed by the large, commercial fishers.

What happens if you shoot a stick of dynamite?

It depends on the explosive. Some bomb materials are highly sensitive to impact; if you shoot a gun at a stick of dynamite, for example, there’s a good chance you’ll set it off. Others are less susceptible to gunfire.

What is illegal fishing in the Philippines?

(55) Illegal Fishing – means fishing activities conducted by Philippine fishing vessels operating in violation of Philippine laws, Regional Fisheries Management Organization resolutions, and laws of other coastal states.

Is dynamite fishing an environmental problem?

Dynamite fishing is a major conservation concern as the blasts from the bombs fragment the calcium carbonate coral skeletons and reduce the reefs to rubble. This destroys important habitat and nesting sites for many fish and invertebrate species.

How does blast fishing destroy coral reefs?

Fish are killed by the shock waves from the blast and are then skimmed off the surface or collected from the bottom by divers. These explosions not only kill large numbers of fish and other marine organisms in the vicinity, but they also destroy the physical structure of coral reefs.

Is blast fishing legal in India?

Meanwhile, environmentalists have called for an end to blast fishing which is illegal and violates Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act. This method is destructive and has an unpredictable effect on the marine ecosystem that supports fish.

When did dynamite become illegal?

In 1970, federal legislation restricted explosives to people who’d been granted a special permit by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Today, nobody without a permit is even allowed to carry a stick of dynamite across a room, to say nothing of actually buying one or lighting it off.

Can you buy a stick of dynamite?

Under federal explosives law, it is illegal to manufacture, store, distribute, receive or transport explosive materials without a federal explosives license or permit (FEL/FEP).

Can dynamite explode when wet?

Even though the diatomaceous earth takes away some of the dangers of nitroglycerin, there are still problems because the mixture is not stable in damp environments. Water causes the nitroglycerin to leak away. The nitroglycerin can build up, and explode unexpectedly.

What is dynamite worth?

DYNMT Price Statistics

Can dynamite explode without a blasting cap?

Crystals will form on the outside of the sticks, causing them to be even more sensitive to shock, friction, and temperature. Therefore, while the risk of an explosion without the use of a blasting cap is minimal for fresh dynamite, old dynamite is dangerous.