SPECIAL REPORT: How dynamite fishing threatens marine tourism in Tanga Region

Tanga. A German tourist who has been visiting Tanga coastline for the past 14 years for scuba diving and snorkelling says he is alarmed by the rising dynamite fishing.

“Dynamite fishing is increasing enormously. Ten years ago I used to scuba dive in about six to seven spots in the sea, but today only two spots are suitable for diving,” says Jochen Osterloh from north of Germany.

He adds: “Coral reefs in the other diving spots have been blasted by the dynamiters. You can hear dynamite blasting almost every day. The most important thing is to stop the dynamiting immediately.”

Indeed, it is a very shocking sight for hundreds of tourists, that coral reefs are blasted to rubble right in front of their eyes when on the beach, or when snorkelling to admire the immense beauty of the underwater treasures that Tanzania could truly be proud of, if not devastated.

“From our coast and beach hotels, we can easily hear, and sometimes see between seven and eight dynamite blasts on a single day, especially during low tide and when the sea is calm. We now also get reports of blasting during full moon nights. This is a new and depressing development,” says a foreign investor who runs a tourist hotel along the Tanga coastline.

He says there can be no tourism where there is dynamite fishing, guests are scared and horrified to spend their holiday in such a disgraceful country that has no respect for its own resources.

“Some visitors have now already reported this to their travel agents back home, and written letters to newspapers about their experiences, which is very bad publicity for Tanzania as a safe travel destination that so much depends on nature conservation as a prime attraction,” he adds, requesting for anonymity saying the powerful cartel of dynamiters are very vengeful.

He says prospects are bleak in particular for the diving industry, as blasts in the vicinity of scuba divers can destroy their eardrums and lead to certain death by drowning.

“This hasn’t happened yet fortunately, but one such case will certainly produce very negative international headlines with dire consequences for the industry,” he warns.

While the government and the tourism industry try very hard to gain a greater share in the international quality tourism market, it has to be acknowledged that dynamite fishing is a devastating threat to marine tourism.

A marine scientist, who also prefers not to be mentioned fearing the vindictive dynamiters, says by blasting reefs, dynamite fishers also destroy aggregations and breeding grounds of pelagic finfish, an increasingly important source of food and high-value export.

Sadly, dynamite fishers do not only target the coral reefs, says the scientist, adding that they have now also started using dynamite to fish for tuna fish, an extremely destructive practice, during which several hundred large (20kg–60kg) tuna are killed and sink immediately to the bottom of the ocean in deep water, only to float back up to the surface a few days later, rotten and inedible.

A week-long investigation by The Citizen has found that the damage from an environmental point of view has a chain of effects.

Dynamite destroys coral reefs, which is contrary to what people normally think, it’s not a series of rocks, but it’s a congregation of living animals which create the corals (rocks) as their homes.

It is like this, these small animals filter the water and grow. Small fishes eat these small corals. Bigger fishes eat the small one eating the corals. And pelagic big fishes pass by coral reefs to eat the medium size fishes.

So it is obviously a food chain and if you destroy the first ring of the chain you disrupt all the other steps.

Because this type of fishing does not only have an effect on what it kills on the spot, but also a much wider and longer effect preventing other fishes to survive.

In January 2012, the Tanga Tourism Network Association (Tatona) wrote a letter to Tanga Regional Commissioner Chiku Galawa, entitled: Daily rampant dynamite fishing along the Tanga coast.

In its letter the association expressed concern over the situation that it said was now getting totally out of control, “and every day destroys the very base of not only our business, but also the livelihood of millions of poor Tanzanians.”

In addition, this is now even seriously tarnishing the international image and reputation of Tanzania, in the tourism industry and in the conservation world, said the letter seen by The Citizen.

The use of explosives for fishing is not known in the neighbouring countries of Kenya and Mozambique that also have long coast lines.

For example, it is known, that in Kenya, the possession, trade and use of explosives is treated as a treasonable offence that attracts the highest penalties.

The letter said coral reefs are among the most precious marine resources in Tanzania that provide both, livelihoods for a large section of coastal people (about 23 per cent of the total population), and a source of income for the local and export-oriented fishing industry, as well as the rapidly growing marine tourism industry.

As a result of dynamite fishing, many coral reefs of Tanga (and of the country as a whole) are already seriously degraded.

With numerous blasts occurring daily on reefs all along the Tanga coast already over decades, the cumulative effect has been devastating, said the letter.

A survey conducted in Tanga Region in the 1990s showed that 10 per cent of coral reefs were damaged beyond recovery, while 70 per cent had significant damage but could recover if protected.

“These figures must be much worse now. Once blasted to rubble, corals take decades, even centuries to grow back, and some reefs will never make it again as a result of continued blasting,” said the letter.

Ms Galawa acknowledged receipt of the Tatona letter in an interview with The Citizen in her office, saying lack of resources was the main reason derailing efforts aimed at curbing dynamite fishing.

“We don’t have resources. A patrol boat needs not less than 200 litres of fuel for it to patrol at least one third of the region’s coastal area,” she said.

Ms Galawa added that fighting dynamite fishing was a collective responsibility, adding however, that there was political will in the fight against the malpractice.

“Plans are afoot to convene a meeting of all coastal regional commissioners and other relevant authorities such as the police, Tanzania Revenue Authority and fisheries department to brainstorm on how to go forward,” she said.

Investigations by this newspaper have found that of the several hundred tunas that they kill using dynamite, the fishers are only able to collect a few pieces before they sink to the bottom.

As a result of only a few days of blasting, the surviving tuna schools move away from Tanga.

It has been further revealed that not only do the dynamite fishers succeed in killing several hundred tuna that are wasted, but they also succeed in ensuring that other fishers, who use legitimate fishing methods and who depend on the tunas to increase their income actually get nothing.

It is the poor artisanal fishers, who depend on handlines, basket traps and nets for their daily food and some extra cash, who are punished for using legal fishing methods, as their catches are now seriously diminishing all along the coast, as a result of the criminal activities of some few unscrupulous people, their supporters and ‘sponsors’ both in business and local government.

Stakeholders see the main reason for this shocking reality is a serious lack of law enforcement by the respective authorities at all levels, in particular also by the courts of law, where dynamiters are often acquitted or given fines that are far below the legal minimum, and released after a few days, only to continue blasting, and also threaten those law-abiding citizens who co-operate with law enforcement organs.

In Tanga Region, this situation has not always been like this. For example, between 1994-2004, the Tanga Coastal Zone Conservation and Development Programme has, with help of the navy, reduced blast fishing for several years.

However, after the simultaneous withdrawal of the navy around 2004, dynamite fishing quickly resurfaced to pre-project levels.

Our investigations have found that one of the brave fisheries officers suffered a vicious acid attack in April 2011 that cost him an eye and one patrol boat was burned at Kigombe, making it clear that the dynamiters have now become a force in Tanga that can openly challenge the government.

Stakeholders believe that with clear political will from the highest authorities in the country, from national to regional levels, dynamiting could be stopped even in the short-term.

They say the dynamiters are individuals who are generally known to the communities and to local government.

Speaking in terms of solutions, a foreign investor based in Kilwa District, Lindi Region, said: “We need full government commitment. It should actually become a political campaign issue.”

He added: “We always complain there is no money to solve the problem, but that is not the real issue. We forget that you can start small, instead we always want to have huge boats, huge budget otherwise we can’t move.”

He says it would be enough to be serious and arrest a few people, for real, and condemn them to 20 years in jail, and dynamite fishing would stop.

“I have seen with my own eyes dynamite fishermen blasting in front of State House in Dar es Salaam and nothing happened. I have also seen tourists taking pictures with a camera in front of State House and getting arrested. So this is total lack of commitment and priorities.”

A short term intervention of the navy would clear the seas of these thieves of the sea, then a constant use of intelligence with spot mission will completely eliminate the problem, he says.

“But we need somebody to care about it within the government. We need a pool of serious magistrates to work on wildlife crime in general, from poaching to dynamiting,” he said.

He added: “People who are prepared and understand the seriousness of such crimes and who are not taking bribes. Do it small but efficient and things will start to change.”

He said dynamite is not only extremely detrimental for the environment and for the tourism industry, but a huge danger to national security.

“With so much explosive being so easily available and with zero control, the danger for the gas platform is huge. Anyone could easily blast the whole thing up very easily and put the country to its knees. How is it possible that nobody cares in the government?” he wondered.

He said a former Kilwa District commissioner had told him that he (the DC) saw with his own eyes a fisherman throwing dynamite over the gas pipe lines from Songo Songo Island to Dar es Salaam.