Acoustic monitoring to document the spatial distribution and hotspots of blast fishing in Tanzania

Destructive fishing using explosives occurs in a number of countries worldwide, negatively impacting coral reefs and fisheries on which millions of people rely. Documenting, quantifying and combating the problem has proved problematic. In March–April 2015 231h of acoustic data were collected over 26...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2017-12, Vol.125 (1-2), p.360-366
Main Authors: Braulik, Gill, Wittich, Anja, Macaulay, Jamie, Kasuga, Magreth, Gordon, Jonathan, Davenport, Tim R.B., Gillespie, Douglas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acoustic data
Acoustic monitoring
Acoustics
Animals
Aquaculture - methods
Blasting (explosive)
Coastal environments
Conservation of Natural Resources
Coral Reefs
Corals
Data collection
Destructive fishing
Detection
Enforcement
Explosions
Explosive Agents
Explosive impact tests
Explosives
Fisheries
Fisheries management
Fishes
Fishing
Hot spots
Impact analysis
Monitoring
Resource management
Spatial distribution
Studies
Tanzania
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Summary:Destructive fishing using explosives occurs in a number of countries worldwide, negatively impacting coral reefs and fisheries on which millions of people rely. Documenting, quantifying and combating the problem has proved problematic. In March–April 2015 231h of acoustic data were collected over 2692km of systematically laid transects along the entire coast of Tanzania. A total of 318 blasts were confirmed using a combination of manual and supervised semi-autonomous detection. Blasts were detected along the entire coastline, but almost 62% were within 80km of Dar es Salaam, where blast frequency reached almost 10blasts/h. This study is one of the first to use acoustic monitoring to provide a spatial assessment of the intensity of blast fishing. This can be a useful tool that can provide reliable data to define hotspots where the activity is concentrated and determine where enforcement should be focused for maximum impact. •Quantifying and monitoring fishing with explosives is challenging.•Acoustic data were collected over 2692km of systematic transects in Tanzania.•318 blasts were confirmed, almost 62% within 80km of Dar es Salaam.•Blast frequency reached almost 10blasts/h.•Acoustic monitoring can identify blasting hotspots and allow targeted enforcement.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.036