Abstract Young men in coastal Tanzania are often blamed for damaging marine habitats by engaging in unsustainable and destructive fishing practices, including dynamite fishing, but their perceptions have not been sufficiently documented. While marine scientists, international environmental NGOs, and activists have called attention to the destructive fishing practices’ devastating impacts, insights into the contextual factors that motivate those who engage in dynamite fishing are limited. Additionally, risk perceptions and concerns regarding the environmental impact and dangers of dynamite fishing among the youth are also understudied. This paper provides ethnographic insights into the historical and contextual factors underlying dynamite fishing in rural coastal Mtwara. It draws on ethnographic data gathered through participant observation, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with residents from two neighboring coastal villages – one located inside a marine protected area (MPA), and another located outside the MPA’s boundary. The paper first examines the views of elderly men and women to provide the historical context of dynamite fishing in coastal Mtwara. It then juxtaposes youth perceptions regarding marine conservation and dynamite fishing in the two villages, vis-à-vis ongoing efforts to curb destructive fishing practices and to enhance marine biodiversity and ecotourism in the region. Results of the study reveal that unresolved tensions between the MPA authorities and local fishers surrounding enforcement practices and unfulfilled gear-exchange-related promises, and allegations of poor governance, are important contextual factors in the persistence of dynamite fishing. The paper concludes by articulating possible remedial measures to mitigate the tensions between youth concerns about their livelihoods, and the goals of marine biodiversity conservation as a way forward in preventing dynamite fishing.

中文翻译：

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坦桑尼亚海洋保护区的炸药捕鱼：为什么年轻人的看法很重要

摘要 坦桑尼亚沿海的年轻人经常因从事不可持续和破坏性的捕鱼活动（包括炸药捕鱼）而破坏海洋栖息地，但他们的看法尚未得到充分记录。虽然海洋科学家、国际环境非政府组织和活动家已经呼吁关注破坏性捕捞活动的破坏性影响，但对激励那些从事炸药捕捞的人的背景因素的洞察是有限的。此外，青年人对炸药捕鱼对环境的影响和危险的风险认知和担忧也没有得到充分研究。本文提供了对 Mtwara 沿海农村炸药捕鱼背后的历史和背景因素的人种学见解。它利用通过参与观察收集的人种学数据，与来自两个邻近沿海村庄的居民进行焦点小组讨论和深入访谈——一个位于海洋保护区 (MPA) 内，另一个位于 MPA 边界外。本文首先考察了老年男性和女性的观点，以提供在沿海 Mtwara 进行炸药捕鱼的历史背景。然后，它将青年人对两个村庄的海洋保护和炸药捕鱼的看法与目前为遏制破坏性捕鱼做法和加强该地区海洋生物多样性和生态旅游的努力进行对比。研究结果表明，海洋保护区当局与当地渔民之间围绕执法实践和未兑现的与渔具交换相关的承诺以及治理不善的指控之间的紧张关系尚未解决，是炸药捕鱼持续存在的重要背景因素。本文最后阐述了可能的补救措施，以缓解青年对其生计的担忧与海洋生物多样性保护目标之间的紧张关系，作为防止炸药捕鱼的一种前进方式。