Dynamite Fishing in Asia
November 3rd, 2009
In the 1960s in the Philippines, cyanide was used to confound and thereafter capture coral fish. This was done to ensure adequate supply for the developing market of aquarium fish for North America and Europe. Since the 1970s the poison is also being used to catch reef fish which was supplied to restaurants in some Asian countries with Chinese population. In most of the Indo-Pacific countries Cyanide fishing is illegal but because of the high prices that these reef fish fetch and also because of corruption, the use of this poison has increased in the entire region. In seawater sodium cyanide breaks down into ions of sodium and cyanide. Cyanide has the property to block the hemoglobin which is the oxygen transporting protein. Due to this the oxygen does not reach the cell and results in poisoning. Small fish are very vulnerable to this whereas adult fish can take higher doses.
Similar to this is dynamite fishing there exists called blast fishing. In this explosives are used to kill fish which makes it easy to collect them. This practice is also illegal and this has a disastrous effect on the ecosystem as the blast damages the habitat of the fish. This is also dangerous for fisherman as it leads to injuries and accidents. The blasts lead to shockwaves in the underwater which causes the rupture of the swim bladder of the fish and shocks them. Few of them float to the surface but most sink to the floor of the sea. The explosions kill a large number of fish and also other organisms in the sea. They damage the coral reefs and also the physical environment in the sea. Dynamite fishing is a conscious irresponsible attempt to destroy environmental balance.
The Philippines are one of the few countries that has taken concrete action against the problem of cyanide fishing. They have a Cyanide Fishing Reform Program, which is a partnership between the IMA i.e. the International Marine life Alliance and the government. They have taken the initiative to train the fisherman to use alternative methods like hook and line techniques and fine mesh barrier techniques. Governments in many countries have made anti cyanide laws to control the hazards controlled by cyanide fishing. Public awareness campaigns in schools and media are also being organized so that the general public gets educated and becomes aware of the harmful effects of cyanide fishing. IMA has implemented a program in Indonesia and does also help governments of many South Asian countries in the Indo Pacific Destructive Fishing Reform Program.
Many measures have been taken to control the disastrous effects of Dynamite Fishing. Tanzania Fisheries Division and Sea Sense along with the World Wide Fund and the World Conservative Union, and also a financial support from the British High Commission, carried out an anti-dynamite fishing awareness program. Awareness is spread through banners, t shirts, posters etc. Patrols are also done by officers and coastal police to control dynamite fishing.
In spite of the numerous measures taken by the governments of many countries and cyanide and dynamite fishing being banned, it is still carried out in many parts of the world. They both have disastrous effects on the ecological system and the marine life and are dangerous to humans. This also causes loss of income in the tourism sector, and even though many do start to realize the disastrous effects of this kind of operation, human greed and lack of concern for the environment still keep such activities in progress(…)
