Jeb Burnell Feb 10, 2015
Chem D-Even Mr. Ippolito
Kate Galbraith’s article on The New York Times’s online database titled “The Horrors of Fishing With Dynamite” tells readers about a type of destructive fishing method used typically in impoverished countries - blast fishing. To inform the reader, Galbraith interviews several scholars and other people who have had first-hand accounts with blast fishing, such as Jessica Vyvyan-Robinson, a scuba diver. In summer of 2014, Vyvyan-Robinson was diving off of the coast of Borneo, when out of nowhere she was struck by the pressure of an underwater bomb explosion. She said in an interview, “‘I could feel it in my chest - like a dull booming sound’” (Galbraith 1). Galbraith also asked Dr. Michael Bariche from the American University in Beirut in Lebanon about blast fishing. He said that the technique spread from Europe through their armies (especially during World War I), and that in Lebanon, blast fishing was introduced by French soldiers throwing grenades into bodies of water to get a fast meal. Dr. Bariche went on and talked about how, “‘Culprits often seek out areas where fish congregate, and then throw a homemade bomb among them’” (2). Fisherman in Lebanon also have had more success in recent years in evading the law by blast fishing at night or by detonating their bombs deeper in the water. Dr. Bariche also said how the larvae of crabs and other crustaceans would be killed by the explosions. Galbraith then changes the area of focus to Tanzania, where blast fishing is a common practice, as well. Marcel Kroese, a member of the Smartfish Program (a program funded by the European Union to make African fishing more safe), offered insight on the topic, saying, “‘The Tanzanian coast also has relatively few fish, so anglers are desperate to harvest anything they can’” (2). The Tanzanian government wants help stop blast fishing, but it does not have the resources to do so. Southeast Asia is another hot-spot for blast fishing, Galbraith says, and that “Blast fishing remains common in...Indonesia and the Philippines” (3). In Cambodia, for example, government officials have encouraged communities to crack down on blast fishing, letting citizens know that without an effort to stop it, blast fishing will continue to harm communities and ecosystems.
Blast fishing is one of the worst ways to catch fish, both in terms of efficiency, and, more importantly, in terms of being eco-friendly. When a bomb is detonated underwater for blast fishing, only a small amount of the fish that are near the bomb actually are able to be caught. Most of the fish sink to the bottom due to their air bladders (the organ that keeps them afloat) rupturing. With every fish caught with blast fishing, several more die for no reason. This mass killing of fish can lead to a shortage of food for other animals in underwater ecosystems. For example, if all the flies in a swamp died out, frogs would have nothing to eat, and they would soon die out. This chain reaction of special extinction greatly harms ecosystems, so it is not just the fish that are harmed. Furthermore, animals that are not even meant to be caught are harmed. Lobsters, crabs, shrimp, etc., are killed by the explosions, which also leads to ecological food imbalances and shortages. Underwater ecosystems near coasts are greatly harmed by the practice of blast fishing.
“The Horrors of Fishing With Dynamite” by Kate Galbraith was a very informative article from a reader’s standpoint. The article was filled with experts’ opinions and facts on blast fishing, as well as having some first-person views on blast fishing experiences. The article also does not just focus on blast fishing in one country. Instead, Galbraith covers many different regions affected by blast fishing, from Southeast Asia, to the Middle East, to East Africa, and how governments are reacting to the problem. Galbraith does not, however, go into how higher governing bodies, like the United Nations, are handling the issue, and if blast fishing is common in other parts of Africa besides Tanzania. All in all, Galbraith’s insight on blast fishing is very informative to readers who, like myself, have never even heard of the topic.
Works Cited
Galbraith, Kate. "The Horrors of Fishing With Dynamite." The New York Times. N.p., 4
Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://nyti.ms/16hVpzW>.
Chem Damian Meehan
ReplyDeleteCurrent events 1 comment 2/10/15
Current Event by Jeb Burnell
Galbraith, Kate. "The Horrors of Fishing With Dynamite." The New York Times. N.p., 4
Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. .
I like the way Jeb uses impressive vocabulary words throughout his article. Words like, impoverished, congregate, efficiency, etc. make the article so much more interesting to read. Another good thing he did was incorporating the text from the original article. He always made references back to the article and made connections. Also, I like how he talks about this problem in different years and how the problem has changed over time. He also talks about blast fishing occurring in many different countries, not just Tanzania and I like how he praises the article for doing this. A suggestion I have for this writer is I think he could have done a better job describing what blast fishing is without quoting the original article. Also, at the end of his writing when he was talking about the original article, he could have criticized the article and maybe talk about it more. Finally, I learned about blast fishing as a whole, I never really knew what it was before this. I also learned where it occurs and the dangers of doing it.
In my opinion, Jeb did an exceptional job writing his review on the article called ‘The Horrors of Fishing with Dynamite.’ Prior to reading his review, you would not know what blast fishing was. Jeb did a very good job of explaining exactly what it was in a way the reader could understand it. He gave an understandable analogy and stated what fish blasting was and where it was happening. Jeb also did a good job of presenting the facts that support evidence to this idea. He explained why it was bad and how it was hurting wildlife. Jeb used many direct quotes from the article, which showed the reader another point of view and backed up what Jeb was saying. I liked having Jeb’s point of view, but I think his article could have been a little less biased. However, I agree that fish blasting is not good and he did a good job of giving input. I would have liked to know about fish blasting in the U.S. and if it is relevant here. It also would be interesting to know the statistics or facts of what it can do to people along with sea creatures. Before reading Jeb’s review, I did not know what fish blasting was or how it worked. I was not aware of its effect on the fish and ecosystems. I also did not know that many people still use it today all over the world when there are many other ways to get food that are not as harmful.
ReplyDeleteJeb did a great job writing his current event, and his review well explains the article, "The Horror of Fishing with Dynamite". I like how he gave quotes from the people the author of the article interviewed. This is helpful because it allows the reader to know what it was like for the people experiencing injuries from blast fishing, especially not knowing anything about the topic before reading the review. For instance, in the first few lines Jeb put in a quote from Jessica Vyvyan-Robinson, "I could feel it in my chest - like a dull booming sound," this was helpful for me because it gives the reader a sense of the pain she felt in the first few sentences of the review. I also like how Jeb explains to the reader where blast fishing mainly takes place. According to his current event, it takes place in Lebanon, Tanzania, and Southeast Asia. This information is crucial to the article, because how safe the activity is can differ from place to place. One final thing I liked about his review is how he explained its negative effect on the world. He gave examples that stated that blast fishing is immensely decreasing the number of fish and this is leading to a food shortage for other animals. Something that Jeb could improve on for his next current event is further expanding on why people are blast fishing, and why they continue to do so. Another aspect of the review that he could work on is providing more detail as to what the governments in the countries where blast fishing takes place are doing to try and stop it, and if the Unites States is involved, or if they are planning to be. Before reading Jeb's review, I didn't know anything about blast fishing, and I found it very surprising that human beings are being injured, and governments are continuing to allow it to happen.
ReplyDeleteI think that Jeb did a very good job reviewing this article. One thing that I liked most is how he used direct quotes from the article to help the audience get a better view of the topic. He used quotes from the article, and he also inserted opinions of professionals on the topic. I also like how he not only covered the topic at hand, but he also inserted information about the topic to help the reader learn more and understand the situation better. He gave history and origin to this type of fishing, and I found it very interesting. Another thing that I really like about this article is that his writing always keeps you hooked. While reading this analysis, I kept wanting to know more about blast fishing, and Jeb did a great job explaining about what it was, and it kept me interested.
ReplyDeleteTo make this article even better, Jeb could have given a little more about who the people using this technique of fishing were. He says where it is common, but I was wondering about what trade these fishermen are in and if they do this as a living or if they just do it to eat. He could have also told about if there is being anything done to stop this harmful way of fishing. I know that he stated that there are not enough resources to stop this, but he could have elaborated on how they could stop this problem. Overall, I think that he did an excellent current events project, and I was amazed at how descriptive and how accurate that his writing was. I am now interested and would love to read more about the topic.
Throughout past years, when looking over other students' work, I have rarely seen such a paper equivalent in quality to Jeb Burnell's review of the article "The Horrors of Fishing with Dynamite." In my own independent research, I have yet to look into the process and affects of what is known as blast fishing. It is clear, while his topic does seem to be somewhat complex and ordinary, that Jeb has a clear understanding of what is occurring. Furthermore, Jeb's use of quotations directly from the text, show that he is indeed providing viable information. At times, some students can go away from the main principles of writing a review by making information up. In this case, there is no evidence that does not come directly from the text. Moving on from this student's great use of quotations, Jeb, in the paragraph that describes the affect of blast fishing on his own life, provides great information and examples that support his own opinion of the matter, that blast fishing is an inhumane way of destroying sufficient parts of our economy. However, while Jeb does do an outstanding job with this piece, in the future, I would have liked to see Jeb acknowledge other scholars' opinions on this topic in the paragraph describing the affects on one's personal life. It seems as if this student becomes a little biased in his own opinions while failing to consider the opinion's of others on the way it either improves or makes lives worse. Also, Jeb, in this review, could have possibly mentioned some of his own fishing experiences and if he had ever ran into this problem having to do with blasting fish. I feel compelled to say that Jeb has a very intriguing interest in the topic, so that would have been interesting to find out. Additionally, it would have been neat if Jeb, after mentioning the affects of blast fishing on more animals than just fish, talked about maybe the affects of this disgusting concept on the people of this world. I, myself, was wondering if it would affect the overall consumption of animals, as a food, and it's relation to the economy. Although I do mention a couple mishaps here, I still would like to stand by my opinion that this was a very well-written piece. Overall, while there were many complex and interesting ideas portrayed in this piece, I was most shocked by the idea that as a result of this procedure, most of the fish actually end up dying. If this procedure continues, it could leave a very bad lasting impact on the ecosystem as a whole.
ReplyDeleteMartha Thomas
ReplyDelete2/24/15
Current Even Comment- Jeb Burnell
Jeb did a great overall job on his current events piece. I liked how he provided specific details from the text in order to prove his negative opinions of blast fishing; it really made his review more insightful. I liked how he pointed out the effects blast fishing has on the environment. He explained its damage it has on the eco-system clearly, helping the reader understand it well. I thought this was a very well written piece, with no punctuation errors, and strong choice of words.
I thought that in Jeb’s final paragraph he could have included that the author neglected to include the reasons that fisherman choose to use dynamite, is it cheaper or easier? I also think that in the beginning of Jeb’s summary he could have put one more sentence including the general reasoning why blast fishing is dangerous, then begin to jump into further detail.
I think that the overall theme of the article was very interesting. Before reading it, I had never heard of blast fishing; in fact the title of this review is what made me want to read it. I am still intrigued yet horrified by blast fishing.
Works Cited
Galbraith, Kate. "The Horrors of Fishing With Dynamite." The New York Times. N.p. , 4 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. .