Illegal but Common

It is estimated
that more than 53% of Indonesia''s
coral reefs have been threatened by
destructive fishing such as blast fishing. Blast
fishing (dynamite fishing) is the practice of
using explosives to catch the fish. This illegal practice
is extremely destructive to the surrounding
ecosystem, especially to coral reefs. This book
is an anthropological research on blast
fishermen society in a small island within the
Spermonde archipelago, Indonesia. It discovers the
daily life of fishermen who deal with illegal and
destructive fishing. The desire to achieve
economic gain and modernization
overcame their desire for resource sustainability.
Exposure to the nearby city of modern life in
Makassar (the mainland) combined with a lack of
formal education plunges them into a greediness
situation in which they have only limited
alternatives available with which to participate in
the material consumption that surrounds them. The
high demand from global markets for fish attracts
them to use short-cuts in fishing.

Autorentext

After completing his bachelor degree at Gadjah Mada Universityin Indonesia, Chozin pursued master degree in theinterdisciplinary Southeast Asian StudiesProgram at Ohio University, USA. To work on this research, hespent a summer living with blast fishermen on an island inIndonesia. He is now living in Indonesia works with environmentalissues.

Klappentext

It is estimatedthat more than 53% of Indonesia'scoral reefs have been threatened bydestructive fishing such as blast fishing. Blastfishing (dynamite fishing) is the practice ofusing explosives to catch the fish. This illegal practiceis extremely destructive to the surroundingecosystem, especially to coral reefs. This bookis an anthropological research on blastfishermen society in a small island within theSpermonde archipelago, Indonesia. It discovers thedaily life of fishermen who deal with illegal anddestructive fishing. The desire to achieveeconomic gain and modernizationovercame their desire for resource sustainability.Exposure to the nearby city of modern life inMakassar (the mainland) combined with a lack offormal education plunges them into a greedinesssituation in which they have only limitedalternatives available with which to participate inthe material consumption that surrounds them. Thehigh demand from global markets for fish attractsthem to use short-cuts in fishing.