In Tanzania, a Horrific Fishing Tactic Destroys All Sea Life

tanzania-gold-fisher
Photo source: ©© Peter

Excerpts;

Strewn in the shallows of the Indian Ocean off Tanzania lie shards of dead coral reefs. Why? Because poor Tanzanian fishermen are using explosives, illegally, to kill hundreds of fish in seconds. Blast fishing, as it’s called, not only destroys large numbers of fish directly—but indirectly as well by killing coral and the rich array of marine animals that depend on it.

Experts believe that in Tanzania, blast fishing is occurring at unprecedented rates, in part because a boom in mining and construction has made it easier for people to get their hands on dynamite…

Read Full Article, National Geographic

Fishermen Blast Premier Dive Sites off Indonesia, AP / The Jakarta Post (04-23-2012)
Coral gardens that were among Asia’s most spectacular, teeming with colorful sea life just a few months ago, have been transformed into desolate gray moonscapes by illegal fishermen who use explosives or cyanide to kill or stun their prey…

The Last of The Sea Nomads, Guardian UK (11-20-2010)
For generations they have lived on the ocean, diving and fishing, and rarely setting foot on land. But now the marine nomads risk destroying the reefs that sustain them. It’s a common story throughout the Coral Triangle…

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