Blast fishing or dynamite fishing describes the practice of using dynamite, homemade bombs or other explosives to stun or kill schools of fish for easy collection. This practice can be extremely destructive to the surrounding ecosystem, as the shockwaves often destroy the underlying habitat (such as coral reefs close to a coastline) that supports the fish. The frequently improvised nature of the explosives used also means danger for the fishermen as well, with accidents and injuries. Dynamite is an explosive based on the explosive potential of nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth (kieselguhr) as an adsorbent. ... A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef, in this case the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. ...

Although outlawed, the practice remains widespread in Southeast Asia, as well as in the Aegean Sea and coastal Africa. In the Philippines, where the practice is well documented, blast fishing dates back to even before the First World War, as this activity is mentioned by Ernst Jünger in his book Storm of Steel. One 1999 report estimated that some 70,000 fishermen (12% of the nation's total number) engage in the practice today.[1] Extensive hard-to-patrol coastlines; the lure of lucrative, easy catches; and in some cases outright apathy or corruption on the part of local officials make enforcement of blast fishing bans an ongoing challenge for authorities. ^{[citation needed]} Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Ernst Jünger Ernst Jünger, (March 29, 1895 – February 17, 1998) was a German author of novels and accounts of his war experiences. ... Storm of Steel (in German: In Stahlgewittern, ISBN 0865273103) is the memoir of German officer Ernst Jüngers experiences on the Western Front during the First World War. ...

Blast fishing is a dangerous (and generally illegal) form of fishing. Home-made explosives made from artificial fertilizers mixed with kerosene is often employed. These devices explode without warning, and have been known to injure or kill the person using them, or innocent bystanders. M-80 fireworks are sometimes used as well. M-80s are a class of large firecrackers, sometimes called salutes. ... For other uses, see Fireworks (disambiguation). ...

Blast Fishing is sometimes called "Redneck Fishing" as a joke.

See also

• Environmental effects of fishing
• Fishing

Subsistence fishing in Bangladesh. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ...

External links

• Blast Fishing and Coral Reef Damage
• Conservation Frontlines: Troubled Waters
• Fishing - Tropical Research + Conservation Centre