Blast fishing by Tanzanian fishermen endangers marine life in Indian Ocean

By Kizito Makoye

RUFIJI, Tanzania (AA) - As fishermen are returning to fishing on Wednesday after a summer ban, experts in the East African country of Tanzania have expressed concern about the blast technique being used to increase the daily catch.

The summer ban on deep-sea fishing is imposed in various seas across the world to protect fish wealth as commercially important species breed during this period.

Armed with dynamite, fishers in Rufiji district south of Dar es Salaam, the major city and commercial port on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast, toss dozens of kerosene bombs into the coral reefs almost daily, killing thousands of fish at one time.

“It’s a bad practice because it kills small fish and even destroys their eggs. How can they reproduce?” said Jumbe Mustafa, a resident of Rufiji.

Recently in Dar es Salaam residents were shocked to see hundreds of dead fish and shards of dead coral reefs lying on the sand attributed to the blast fishing.

Blast fishing, which is blamed for dropping fish stocks in the Indian Ocean, involves illegal fishers who use homemade bombs to send shock waves into the sea, stunning and killing thousands of fish and other marine organisms, which are then collected and sold in the local market.

The blasts often shatter coral reefs in the shallow water which are critical habitats for fish, crabs, and hotspots for ecotourism.

According to Mustafa, local fishers who use ring nets to fish are struggling to increase their daily catch due to the dwindling supply.

“Some fish species cannot be found because their habitats were blown up,” he said.

Blast fishing was banned in Tanzania in 2003 under the revised Fisheries Act. But a spot check by Anadolu Agency revealed that illegal fishing continues unabated in parts of Bagamoyo, Tanga, Pangani, Rufiji, and Zanzibar.

Tossed into the ocean, a bottle bomb causes a huge explosion that tears off a fish’s swimming bladder -- an organ that allows it to float. The fishers then hurriedly collect dead fish within the 20-meter (65-foot) radius using their nets to trap them.

- Dead fish ashore

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, residents in Rufiji, Bagamoyo, and Kunduchi, where illegal fishing still happens, said the use of dynamite has ruined local livelihoods as fish stocks continue to decline.

“I don’t think the ban is effectively enforced because we don’t see it stopped. I would advise the government to sit with local communities to identify the challenges they face and help them find alternative livelihoods,” said Jumanne Masenza, a resident of Rufiji.

A swell of laughter and chatter fills the air as a dozen fishers huddle on pristine sand at Kunduchi Beach in Dar es Salaam, mending their torn nets to prepare for work later in the afternoon.

Deep in Mangrove swamps a few miles away, Sadiki Mabrouk is busy scrapping powder -- from a stick of dynamite to make explosives.

“We use this method because it is the easiest. Within minutes, you get a lot of fish,” said Mabrouk, who does not know the impact the explosives have on the environment.

Using a wooden stick, he meticulously mixes dynamite with fertilizer and kerosene. “You must be very careful when mixing. It can blow your hand off,” he said.

Sadiki said once the mix is ready, he attaches a copper wire and fuse for detonating.

- Fighting illegal practice

Upendo Hamidu, a senior fishery officer at Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, has warned residents to stop using dynamite.

"When fishers use blast fishing, they catch immature fishes and disturb the breeding circle. Illegal fishing threatens the sustainability of marine resources and also poses a health risk to fishers," she said.

According to Hamidu, the government through the Tanzania Blast Monitoring Network is conducting awareness campaigns with local communities aimed at stopping illegal fishing practices in the Indian Ocean.

“Apart from these campaigns, we conduct frequent surveillance patrols to detect and stop illegal activities,” she said.

While Tanzanian authorities are working hard to stop illegal fishing, analysts say blast fishing potentially threatens marine life and endangered fish species.

“Blast fishing is an extremely bad method because it destroys breeding grounds and causes a devastating impact on marine ecosystems,” said Flower Msuya, a marine biologist at the University of Dar es Salaam.

According to Msuya, the booming extractive industry has made it easy for people to obtain explosives cheaply.

The underwater explosions fishers say often leave coral reefs in tatters and kill more fish than they can take.