TANZANIA -Stop dynamite fishing, endangering human lives and coral reefs
- by: Hilary Braatz
- recipient: Minister for Fisheries and Minister for natural resources of the Government of Tanzania
Coral reefs are being irreparably destroyed by daily rampant dynamite fishing, resulting in a significant loss of biodiversity and fisheries productivity. Many fishermen lose their lives and limbs when employed by criminals to use explosives for fishing.Blasting can be heard all along the Tanzanian coast in daytime, especially around Tanga and Dar es Salaam - a disaster for local fishing communities and tourism, the largest employer in Tanzania. Please sign for the Tanzanian Government to enforce and supplement the laws against dynamite fishing, control trade in explosives and save the coral reefs for the livelihoods of fishing communities and for the marine tourism sector.
Dear Ministers, dynamite fishing is destroying the coral reefs all along the Tanzanian coast, ruining their biodiversity and productivity of the fisheries sector, leading to growing poverty of fishing communities and damaging marine tourism. Please take decisive measures to enforce and supplement current laws, and make the possession, trade and use of explosives for fishing a treasonable offense, as is the case in neighbouring Kenya. Putting an end to this ruthless destruction of coral reefs is in the interest of all coastal inhabitants.
