Bomb fishing is wreaking havoc on Indonesia's coral reefs
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Blast fishing detonates over 8,500 bombs yearly off Sulawesi, reducing coral reefs to rubble.
Researchers recorded 3,500 explosions in 3,600 hours of underwater audio in Indonesia's Spermonde Archipelago, estimating over 8,500 blasts annually within 350 square miles. A single bomb destroys 200 square feet of reef, and three football fields are lost each year. AI software analyzed the recordings. The practice, documented in at least 34 countries, is often attributed not to poverty but to middle-income fishers seeking profit, exacerbated by weak enforcement. 75% of coral has been lost since 1990. Lead author Ben Williams notes that unlike bleaching, bomb fishing is an acute stressor that could be reversed if stopped.
What commenters are saying
The thread splits into two camps: those blaming poverty and colonial history, and those citing the article's claim that blast fishing is practiced by middle-income fishers, not the destitute. Some argue enforcement or subsidies could help, while others condemn the greed and short-term thinking. A few comments question the extent of damage (three football fields per year seems low given one bomb per hour), and others note the practice has been commercial for decades in SE Asia.