EXRA MILES BEYOND DYNAMITE FISHING

Not many people know the seriousness and extent of the problem of dynamite fishing but it suffices to say that it extends along the coastal area and some extent in the inland water. Dynamite fishing is among illegal fishing which has a great impacts to our natural resources as well as environment, this is because once it is practised it brings effects not only to the fish but also to other resources like marinebioderversities,environment as well as humans.

Among organisation that strived to highlight the dynamite fishing problem in the country include the The Youth Vision of Kigamboni which monitors and records blasts in Kigamboni. Their records show there is average of 20 blasts occurring everyday from the Somangira to Pemba mnazi wards which make the total of 600 blasts occurring every month.

The impacts of Dynamite fishing include; destruction of coral reefs which are natural barriers that restrain beach erosion by holding back cruising oceanic waves, destroy aquatic resource such as seaweed, sea grass and other marine life which many organism depend on them for their breeding and feeding as result these organism tend to die and sometime disappear hence extinct of some species which have great value to national economic.

It also causes some injuries to the fishermen who are engaging in this kind of fishing which later on cause disability thus becoming beggars and driving their families to object poverty, and sometime death since some get serious injuries which cause over bleeding as it is said there is average of 110 dynamite fishers in the Indian ocean die annually.

On the other hand, dynamite fishing affects tourism sector, the level of tourists is diminishing daily due to dynamite fishing. This is because of the blast from dynamite which creates fear to the tourists who are coming to visit various beaches hence some tourists tend to avoid visiting these areas for fear of being victim of dynamite resulted into reduction of the flow of foreign currency in the country.

Therefore there must be law enforcement as well as culprits must properly sentence to court so as to ensure they are not returning to this kind of fishing, in addition to that the government should empower and encourage CSO’s to provide education on the impacts of illegal fishing through conducting training programmes.
Written by;
Ruth John-YET 2011