One underwater blast can net Tanzanian fisherman about $1,800, the BBC reports.(Photo: AFP/Getty Images file)
(NEWSER)<span style="color: Red;">*</span>– Researchers on a mission to gather information about whales and dolphins in the waters off Tanzania inadvertently discovered that the eco-devastating practice of using explosives to catch fish is alive and well in the African country,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
National Geographic<span style="color: Red;">*</span>reports. So-called blast fishing kills large numbers of fish — many of which sink to the bottom anyway — as well as destroying coral reefs and the animals that live in them. Blasts also injure and kill people. "The number of fish has drastically reduced; we are not able to catch many fish like before," a fisherman, who uses traditional methods, told<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
BBC News<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in a previous report. Listening to underwater recordings taken in March, researchers heard at least 10 blasts per day. “We caught a snapshot,” says Tim Davenport with the Wildlife Conservation Society. A man speaking at a World Wildlife Fund meeting says he hears up to 50 blasts a day from his home in Dar es Salaam, according to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
allafrica.com.
It's "as if there is no government," he says. Introduced in Tanzania in the 1960s, blast fishing was outlawed in the 1970s, according to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>National Geographic. Nonetheless, the practice has persisted (one blast, per the BBC, could net a $1,800 payday) and has only increased in recent years. One reason: Increased mining has made dynamite easier to get. In addition to the other consequences of blast fishing, tourism (17% of Tanzania's GDP) suffers. Explosions and dead coral reefs do not make for a pleasant swim, Davenport notes. Over the summer, the government launched a new task force to deal with wildlife crimes. But, per<span style="color: Red;">*</span>National Geographic, similar attempts in the past have suffered from meager resources, confusion about the law, and light sentences for offenders. (In Japan, a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
giant squid<span style="color: Red;">*</span>gave spectators a Christmas Eve show.)
This article appeared originally on Newser:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
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