Threats to coral reefs
Destructive fishing
Dead fish as the result of blast fishing.
Source:
NOAA.
Coral reefs house thousands of marine communities like fish and mollusk species.
They are very vulnerable to overexploitation: the reproduction of corals can't keep up with the excessive fisheries,
with the result that lots of communities get exterminated.
Different reef related organisms are harvested for the curio, jewellery and live-fish trade.
The harvesting of aquarium animals is probably the highest value-added part of coral reef fishing.
In addition, a lot of fishing practices cause direct damage to the reef structure and habitat mainly through the application
of blast/dynamite fishing, fishing with poisonous chemicals, harmful netting techniques or non-selective fishing.
Learn more about the harmful fishing techniques ↓ ↑
- Blast or dynamite fishing:
A widespread fishing technique (an explosion) mainly applied for subsistence fishing but also for the ornamental aquarium trade.
It is a non-selective fishing method that kills undesirable fish and is especially destructive for the reef structure itself.
- Fishing with poisonous chemicals (like cyanide fishing):
A technique that is mainly applied to collect living species for the aquarium trade and the live food market.
Since 2000, increasing restrictions on illegal dynamite fishing have led to an increased practice of this indiscriminate
method - particularly as it can be used without generating noise.
- Harmful netting techniques:
For example, 'muro-ami', a fishing technique in which a weighted net is dragged across the reef by a group of swimmers while
smashing the reef in order to scare the fish into the net. Or kayak-drive netting techniques, a
method that does not damage the reefs directly but which catches unwanted fish as well as immature juvenile fish.
Source: Vanderstraeten, 2007.
