Dynamite fishing in the Myeik archipelago

[Elisa, 28]

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The Myeik Archipelago, which is located in southern Myanmar, consists of over 800 islands distributed along 600 kilometres of coastline in the Andaman Sea. The islands are covered by tropical evergreen rainforests and surrounded by an extensive coral reef system. The archipelago is considered one of the most pristine and untouched paradise in Asia.

Despite the uniqueness and beauty of the area, illegal activities like dynamite fishing, trawling and overfishing are widespread. Scaling up of commercial fishing has increased the incidence of these episodes, which are now posing a serious threat to the marine habitats of the archipelago.

Dynamite fishing, which consists in using explosive to kill fish in order to collect them more easily, is a highly destructive practice that destroys the seabed, killing every single fish, mollusk, coral and plant in a radius of 3 nautical miles.

Coral reefs in the Myeik archipelago are already suffering from extensive bleaching caused by climate change. The intensification of dynamite fishing is further endangering the entire ecosystem and therefore the biodiversity that inhabit the sea.

Eradicating dynamite fishing is thus a urgent priority in order to protect the archipelago and its coral reef. Increasing patrolling activities, strengthening law enforcement and encouraging community participation in conservation activities are key to achieve this goal.

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