Fishermen in northern Laos are using grenades to haul in large catches that otherwise might take hours of work to net, according to residents and officials, who say the practice threatens to impact fish populations in the region.
It is also illegal.
Two videos posted to Facebook in recent days show fishermen whose identities are obscured, hurling grenades from outboard motor boats into the Mekong River and the Namtha 1 Dam reservoir in Bokeo province.
In the videos, underwater concussive blasts churn sediment to the surface before they cut to fishermen displaying several sizable fish gathered on their vessels. In one video, a grinning fisherman flashes a thumbs up to the camera, celebrating his catch.
A resident of Houayxay district’s Pak Ngao village who, like other sources in this report requested for anonymity for safety reasons, told RFA Lao that a fellow villager was involved in the grenade fishing, despite warnings from the village chief and laws that prohibit the practice in Laos.
“A resident of this village, who threw grenades into the water, posted those videos on Facebook and then deleted them,” he said.
Other fishermen electrocute the fish, he said.
A method used by some is to tie an electrical cable to a long stick and attach it to a motorcycle battery before dipping it into the water, according to sources.
The resident said the use of explosives and electric shocks should be eradicated because “we should conserve fish for our children.”
He said that “professional” fishermen in the area using traditional methods might stay out on the water “all day and all night,” but only catch a few fish.
Prohibition flouted
The Lao criminal code prohibits the use of explosives, poison, chemicals and electrocution to catch fish. Violators face up to one year in jail and fines of up to 10 million kip (US$500).
Despite the prohibition, a resident of another village in Houayxay told RFA that most of the fish at the local market are “not caught by net, but by explosives or electrocution,” noting that the fish don’t exhibit any of the signs typically associated with net catches, such as damage to their scales and heads from struggling against cordage.
Another villager from Pak Ngao said an area fishmonger confirmed that most of the fish at the market had been obtained illegally, through these means.
“She said that most fish at the market come from the area where explosives and electrocution are used to catch fish,” he said.
The fishermen that use grenades do so “in secret,” said a third resident of Pak Ngao.
“The village authorities can’t do anything to stop them and the higher-level authorities are too far away from the area,” he said, adding that the fishermen are too “dangerous” to be confronted about the practice.
But a provincial official said the cases in the videos are now under investigation.
“If we find the suspects, they’ll be prosecuted according to the law,” he said. “The Mekong River has many fish conservation zones and those fishermen are breaking the rules by illegally fishing in those areas.”
Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.