Bomb Fishing Is Wreaking Havoc on Indonesia's Coral Reefs

Indonesian fishers are detonating over 8,000 underwater explosives annually off Sulawesi's coast, destroying approximately three football fields of coral reef each year through blast fishing—a globally banned technique that stuns and kills marine life within a 90-foot radius. Researchers using underwater microphones and AI technology detected the explosions and found that this highly destructive practice, rather than poverty-driven desperation, is likely perpetrated by middle-income fishers and represents the leading cause of reef loss in the region, converting vibrant ecosystems into barren rubble landscapes.