Blast fishing, often referred to as dynamite fishing, is a destructive, illegal method of catching fish that uses explosives to stun or kill marine life for easy collection. This practice is widespread, particularly in coastal regions of Southeast Asia and Africa, targeting dense fish schools, often near biodiverse coral reefs. Although outlawed almost universally, the method persists because it offers a high yield of catch with minimal effort, making it a lucrative short-term solution for fishers in impoverished coastal communities. The technique causes significant, long-term destruction to the underlying habitat and results in the indiscriminate killing of marine organisms.
The Mechanics of Blast Fishing
The method of blast fishing relies on creating a powerful shockwave in the water rather than the physical force of the explosion itself. Fishers typically locate a dense school of fish, often near a reef, before deploying an improvised explosive device. These homemade bombs are constructed from readily accessible materials, often glass bottles or plastic containers. They are filled with a mixture of chemicals, commonly chemical fertilizers like ammonium nitrate mixed with kerosene or diesel fuel, along with a detonator.
Once the explosive is thrown into the water, the resulting blast generates a high-pressure shockwave that travels rapidly. This shockwave injures fish by rupturing their swim bladders, the gas-filled organs that regulate buoyancy. The sudden loss of buoyancy causes the fish to float to the surface, where they are quickly scooped up by the fishers. However, most stunned or killed fish sink to the seafloor, representing a significant waste of marine resources.
Environmental Devastation
The environmental damage caused by blast fishing creates severe and long-lasting ecological consequences far beyond the immediate area of the explosion. Coral reefs are particularly susceptible to this destruction. The intense shockwave from a single blast can pulverize the calcium carbonate structure of the coral skeletons, reducing large areas of complex habitat to barren rubble fields.
This physical destruction transforms a biodiverse ecosystem into an unstable “rubble zone,” which inhibits the settlement and growth of new coral polyps. Reefs damaged by blast fishing are unable to recover quickly; a single blast area may require five to ten years to show signs of recovery, and heavily blasted areas often fail to recover at all. The loss of this structural habitat leads to a decline in the quantity of fish species that rely on the reef for shelter, breeding, and feeding.
The practice is entirely indiscriminate, killing or injuring a high percentage of non-target marine organisms within the blast radius. This includes juvenile fish, eggs, and invertebrates that are part of the complex reef food web. Eliminating these non-target species and young fish drastically reduces future fish stocks and the overall productivity of the ecosystem. This indiscriminate killing disrupts the entire food web, undermining the reef’s resilience and long-term health.
Economic Drivers and Legal Consequences
The motivation for engaging in blast fishing is the considerable short-term economic benefit it provides to individual fishers. The method offers a high yield of catch for minimal time and physical effort, translating into a rapid income stream, especially where alternative livelihoods are scarce. For crew members, the monthly net income can be comparable to the highest incomes earned in conventional fisheries, creating a strong financial incentive. The ease of obtaining or making explosives, coupled with the low cost of materials, makes this illegal practice accessible to those living in poverty.
However, the short-term private gains of blast fishing come at a substantial long-term cost to society and the environment. The destruction of coral reefs severely impairs their function as natural coastal protection, increases beach erosion, and eliminates the basis for non-destructive industries like fishing and tourism. Economic analyses show that the quantifiable costs to society through lost tourism and reduced fisheries can be four times higher than the total net private benefits gained from the practice. The use of explosives for fishing is universally prohibited by laws and regulations enacted across the globe.
Legal consequences for perpetrators typically involve strict penalties, including significant fines, imprisonment, and the confiscation of vessels and fishing gear. Despite these severe punishments, enforcement often remains weak, particularly in remote areas, due to inadequate patrolling resources or a lack of political will. Weak enforcement, sometimes coupled with outdated legal frameworks, acts as a limited deterrent, allowing the lucrative practice to continue.