漁民破壞珊瑚礁

Shocking photos show coral reefs destroyed by fishermen using explosives, cyanide

印度尼西亞美麗的珊瑚花園, 在短短的數月內, 就被貪婪的, 違法的漁民, 利用炸藥和山埃, 非法大量捕殺魚群和毀壊淨盡了天然的珊瑚礁。

KOMODO ISLAND, INDONESIA—Coral gardens that were among Asia’s most spectacular, teeming with colorful sea life just a few months ago, have been transformed into desolate grey moonscapes by illegal fishermen who use explosives or cyanide to kill or stun their prey.

The site is among several to have been hit inside Komodo National Park, a 500,000-acre reserve in eastern Indonesia that spans several dusty, tan-colored volcanic islands. The area is most famous for its Komodo dragons — the world’s largest lizards — and its remote and hard-to-reach waters also burst with staggering levels of diversity, from corals in fluorescent reds and yellows to octopuses with lime-green banded eyes to black-and-blue sea snakes.

Dive operators and conservationists say Indonesia’s government is not doing enough to keep illegal fishermen out of the boundaries of the national park, a UN World Heritage site.

Local officials disagree, pointing to dozens of arrests and several deadly gunbattles with suspects.