Acoustic Characteristics of Fish Bombing: Potential to Develop An
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 (2003) 99–106 www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul Acoustic characteristics of fish bombing: potential to develop an automated blast detector George H. Woodman a,d,*, Simon C. Wilson b,c, Vincent Y.F. Li d, Reinhard Renneberg d a Li Po Chun United World College, 10 Lok Wo Sha Lane, Sai Sha Road, Sha Tin, NT, Hong Kong b Biology Department, Warwick University, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK c P.O. Box 2531, CPO 111, Seeb, Sultanate of Oman d Marine Sensors and Biosensors Group, Atmospheric Marine and Coastal Environment Program, School of Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Abstract The use of explosives to catch fish has caused extensive damage to coral reefs throughout Southeast Asia, but the frequency with which they are used is largely unknown. The aim of this work is to develop a detection system capable of distinguishing underwater explosions from background noise, and locating their origin by triangulation. Blast signals have been recorded over a range of distances and the key features that differentiate them from background noise have been determined. For small charges the effective range of such a detector is more than 12 km and may extend up to 50 km depending on the mass of the charges being used. Such a system would help to determine the scale of the problem, identify areas at greatest risk and quantify the effectiveness of management intervention designed to control destructive fishing practices. It may assist with fisheries enforcement in some areas. Ó 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Fishery management; Reefs; Noise; Destructive fishing practices; Fish bombing; Underwater explosions 1. Introduction able on the frequency or geographic distribution of fish blasting. This lack of data is seen as a key constraint to It is widely acknowledged that destructive fishing the management of the problem at both a local and practices are among the most serious and immediate regional level. The long-term goal of this work is to threats to coral reefs in Southeast Asia. Fish blasting develop a tool for detecting and locating blast events in (also known as Ôfish bombingÕ or Ôdynamite fishingÕ)has a quantifiable area. From such data the frequency and been reported from almost all countries in the region distribution of blasting over a range of geographical (McAllister, 1988; Lemay et al., 1991; Gomez et al., scales can be determined. 1994; Hair, 1994; Huber, 1994; ICRI, 1995; Pet-Soede Although the acoustic signal from underwater explo- and Erdmann, 1998a,b; Oakley et al., 1999) as well as sions can be detected at considerable ranges, reliably from East Africa (Makoloweka, 1998). Fish blasting at differentiating weak blast signals from background noise high intensity is particularly destructive because it poses significant technical challenges. The purpose of transforms a reef from a productive and solid structure this investigation is to characterize acoustic signals from to an area of mobile rubble that takes years to recover at blasts and sources of background noise to enable a best, or induces an ecological phase shift that prevents suitable detection algorithm to be developed. corals from re-colonizing at worst. Despite the impact of fish blasting on the sustain- ability of reef fisheries, no quantitative data are avail- 2. Methods and materials * Corresponding author. Address: Li Po Chun United World Acoustic signals from blast events in shallow water College, 10 Lok Wo Sha Lane, Sai Sha Road, Sha Tin, NT, Hong Kong. Fax: +852-2643-4088. are complicated by reflections from the water surface E-mail address: [email protected] (G.H. Wood- and the seabed. In addition, there is considerable vari- man). ability in the construction and chemical composition of 0025-326X/02/$ - see front matter Ó 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0025-326X(02)00322-3 100 G.H. Woodman et al. / Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 (2003) 99–106 the charges being used. Although underwater explosions tion of explosive. Since bottles are asymmetrical it is have been studied for over fifty years, typically shock likely that they behave as shaped charges, producing an waves have been generated using standardized charges asymmetrical shock wave. However, controlling the in deep water (Chapman, 1985). To our knowledge no orientation of the charge until detonation would have work has been published on acoustic signals from fish been difficult and was not attempted. The depth at bombs in shallow water. which the blast occurred was controlled by attaching a For this study it was critical to detonate charges under line and float to the charge. Target depths varied be- controlled conditions in the field to characterize their tween 7 and 12 m. Trials were conducted with and blast signals. The variables under control were the dis- without a land barrier between the detector and the tance from the bomb to the detector, the depths of the blast. charge and the detector, and the mass of the charge. The investigations required the use of two survey Standardized fish bombs were manufactured and deto- boats, one carrying the detection equipment, the other nated using traditional methods and to minimize im- directing the timing and location of the blasts. Each pacts to the reef and fish, blasts were triggered in water boat was equipped with a handheld GPS unit to mea- 20–30 m deep in sandy areas. sure the distance from blasts to the detector. A number of trials investigated the effect of distance (which ranged 2.1. Charges between 150 m to 12 km) on the blast signal. The un- certainty of the position measurements from the GPS Ammonium nitrate fertilizer was supplied in the form was around 15 m. of granules that were mixed with kerosine (fuel oil). Further trials were made recording the blast signals Blast fishermen use a well-known recipe for mixing fuel on two similar detectors to explore the effects of detector oil with fertilizer to produce the ammonium nitrate/fuel depth and the distance to the blast on the time delay oil (ANFO) explosive. The recipe incorporates the op- between the signals. The detectors were mounted on a timum mixing ratio of 94% ammonium nitrate and 6% rig that consisted of a top section supported on the sea fuel oil (by mass) that ensures full oxidation of the fuel surface by floats and a submerged weighted framework. oil and maximum blast energy (Koohler€ and Meyer, The orientation of the rig was controlled manually so 1993). A small charge typical of the region consists of a that one detector was 1 m closer to the blast. The glass bottle (often 625 ml capacity) filled with a 500 g depth of water at the detection location was 9 m over a charge. The open end of the bottle was sealed with a gently sloping reef therefore reflections were expected to plastic foam plug with a slit cut into it to allow a high complicate the signal shape. explosive detonator to be inserted into the charge. The Background noises from two sources were also in- detonator consisted of a thin, hollow aluminium cylin- vestigated. These were snapping shrimp (Alphaeidae) der with one open end, roughly 3 mm in diameter and 30 and outboard engine and propeller noise. mm in length. The closed end of the cylinder contained Pressure signals were recorded using one or two Bruuel€ the high explosive detonator charge along about a third and Kjaer Type 8103 high-frequency response hydro- of its length. Detonators are widely available over phones with a Nexus conditioning amplifier. These hy- Southeast Asia and account for a significant fraction of drophones are suitable for recording the signals from the total cost of a fish bomb. One end of a length of fuse underwater explosions. The gain of this amplifier can be wire was inserted into the open end of the detonator and adjusted from 10 lVPaÀ1 over a range of 15 decades at the other end two safety matches were bound to it with 2 preset values per decade. The signals were digi- with thread to act as a source of ignition. A clear plastic tized (with 12 bit resolution) at a rate of 100 or 200 kHz film was tightly wrapped over the match heads and tied using a National Instruments data acquisition card as waterproofing. The length of fuse varies and allows (DAQCard–AI–16E–4) and a laptop computer. The the fisherman to control the timing of the detonation, digitized signals were streamed onto an 18 GB hard disk and therefore its depth given a constant rate of sinking. and then analyzed using a system developed with Lab- By attaching iron bars or rocks to the charge the rate view software (supplied by National Instruments). The of sinking can be increased. signals were also recorded on storage oscilloscope with 8-bit resolution (model type THS720P manufactured by 2.2. Signal detection Tektronix) at a data acquisition rate between 500 kHz to 1.25 MHz. The parameters identified as influencing the energy One hour of recording one hydrophone at a sampling received by the sensor were the efficiency of mixing of rate of 200 kHz or two hydrophones at 100 kHz gen- charge ingredients, orientation, depth of the charge and erates 1.4 GB of data. Blasts signals were roughly lo- the presence of islands. Charges used in this study were cated in these large files by using the logged time of the known to have been manufactured in a single batch, event recorded by an observer. To precisely locate the which reduced the expected variability in the composi- signal in the file required a search for a pressure value G.H.