Save Reefs, Save lives!

In my previous blog we discussed what is overfishing ( when fish are killed faster than they can replenish) and its effects. In this blog, we are going to highlight what are destructive fishing practices and their effects on marine life.

 What are destructive fishing practices?
These are methods that result in permanent damage of marine habitats and ecosystems. Also includes the incorrect use of standard fishing techniques.

Some types of destructive fishing practices:

Fig 1:From coral reefs and sustainable management

• Blast fishing- is usually done in areas where fish are plentiful, for example coral reefs, and is done by detonating explosives in the water. This kills or shocks the fish and allows them to float to the surface of the water where they can be easily caught. The technique allows fishermen to get larger yields while exerting less energy. This method is more commonly used in the Philippines and in South East Asia. Examples of explosives used are dynamite and homemade explosives made of kerosene and fertilizer. ( source: environmental issues )
• Cyanide/ Poison fishing - occurs when  a mixture of sodium cyanide is sprayed into the habitat of the organisms. This allows live marine animals to be caught for use in restaurants and aquariums. The use of cyanide results in the loss of zooxanthellae (photosynthetic algae found in coral), which leads to the discoloration of coral or coral bleaching. This is mainly practiced in South East Asia. (Jones, Ross J., Tim Kildea, and Ove Hoegh-Guldberg. "PAM chlorophyll fluorometry: a new in situ technique for stress assessment in scleractinian corals, used to examine the effects of cyanide from cyanide fishing." Marine Pollution Bulletin 38.10 (1999): 864-874.) 
  
• Bottom Trawling - this is the act of releasing a large net into the ocean that is weighed down by heavy weights. The net is then dragged across the ocean floor thus collecting everything in its path. This method is inefficient and highly destructive, because it not only catches the targeted prey but other unwanted marine life, destroys coral and therefore leads to the destruction of marine ecosystems. ( source: destructive fishing )
  Fig 3: Photo of bottom trawling from bloom association

Before you leave, take a look at this very informative video made by two marine biologists, Dr. Andrea Marshall and Daniel Van Duinkerken.

Video from Marine Megafauna Foundation