Protected areas not exempt as blast fishing blows up in Sri Lanka 
By Malaka Rodrigo LK Source: mongabay 7/12/2022
Malaka Rodrigo
Credit: Dharshana Jayawardena
Blast fishing is widely practiced in the seas around Sri Lanka, with even marine parks and historical shipwrecks not immune to this illegal practice.
Authorities say blast fishers work as part of a network to evade capture and obtain explosives, including by smuggling them in by sea from India.
The easy availability of explosives transcends conservation issues and raises serious national security concerns, experts say, pointing to the use of explosives in a coordinated terrorist attack on churches during Easter of 2019.
Blast fishing also poses a threat to recreational divers, with a serious injury or even death spelling the end for Sri Lanka’s dive tourism industry that’s already reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic crisis.
 

It was a perfect morning in Pigeon Island National Park in eastern Sri Lanka, where a group of tourists in a boat was taking in the rich marine life in the water around them. All of a sudden, there was a loud blast close by. As silence settled once again, they saw the fish that had been flitting nimbly about now either floating dead on the surface or struggling to swim. Through the clear water, they could see more dead fish in the seabed.

 
Continue...

News Id SourceStampcountry
2926Atlantic herring industry in Maine gets over $7 million to cope with fish lossesnewscentermaine2022-05-05US
2927Catch a glimpse! Rare deep-sea fish found in Monterey Bay, US by expertswionews2022-05-09US
2928They’re less terrifying than you think — but still, those teethharvard2022-05-06US
2929Eeling industry hits back at calls to ban commercial fishing of longfin eelsNewshub2022-05-07NZ
2930The people who risk their lives for a catchtheguardian2022-05-08UK
2931‘Testicle’ fish has social media convinced it’s really a ‘sex toy’nypost2022-05-03US
2932Exceptional Anglers to teach students with special needs how to fishal2022-05-04US
2933Maine dam owner to make changes to try to save salmonmyjournalcourier2022-05-02US
2934Illegally-Stocked Walleye Caught in Idaho's Lake Cascadeusnews2022-05-10US
2935The Mystery of the Puffer Fish Helmets of Kiribatiatlasobscura2022-04-26KI
2936Missing 88-year-old fisherman found dead in water wearing life jacket, TX officials saymiamiherald2022-04-27US
2937Divers to retrieve lost fishing gear near sunken destroyer off San Pedroocregister2022-04-27US
2938World-first women's fly fishing championships beckons Tasmanian trioABC Northern Tasmania2022-05-01AU
2939Chinese ‘Devil’s Vessels’ - Sweeping Up The Seastippinsights2022-04-23CN
2940SeaSick: Is the quota system the best way to sustain our fisheries for future generations?stuff2022-04-26NZ
2941Fisherman catches ‘rare and endangered’ 50-pound fish in Missourimytwintiers2022-04-26US
2942Hawai’i nears legal prohibition of drones for fishingdronedj2022-04-27US
2943Father and son catch huge buffalo fish in Shelby Park lakeNashville Tennessean2022-04-27US
2944Invasive, parasite-carrying fish found in Northern New Yorknews102022-04-28US
2945Fish on drugs: cocktail of medications is ‘contaminating ocean food chain’theguardian2022-04-29UK
2946East Texas 16-year-old sets fishing world recordkrqe2022-04-29US
2947Lack of fairness prompts Federal Court to set aside B.C.nsnews2022-04-26CA
2948How many fish in the seetheindependent2022-04-29CA
2949Angler catches massive paddlefish in TennesseeFox News2022-04-20US
2950Missouri fisherman catches 50-pound rare sturgeonFox News2022-04-25US

215 216 217 117 of [218 - pages.]