Technology
The key to ending this illegal practice is enforcement. Using re-purposed acoustic gunshot detection technology from SoundThinking™, SFB can provide local law enforcement an alert with the precise location of a blast within 60 seconds of an explosion. Suspected boats in the areas can then be tracked via marine radar for apprehension.
A fish bomb explodes in the water, Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia, South China Sea. (© Christian Loader / Scubazoo)
The Problem
Detection is possible due to the inherent nature of fish bombs. They are very loud. However, the sound of a bomb detonation underwater does not translate very well into the air. It is heard as a dull thud and only if one is very close to the explosion. Standing on a beach two hundred meters from a blast, one hears nothing. Standing on a dock or pier at the same distance, one hears the pier shake as the sound hits it. Likewise for boats.
For scuba divers or snorkelers with ears underwater, the sound is very loud, and can be heard from thousands of meters away. Up close, the sound pressure is so intense that it can cause injury or death.
Fish bombs do produce large plumes of water that splash down and are visible from far away. However, bombers like to do their work far from other boats. By the time that the sound reaches say, a police boat, the plume has already fallen, and cannot be witnessed.
Our Solution:
History Of The Project
Working off the 2003 research of George Woodman and Simon Wilson, Stop Fish Bombing began adapting SoundThinking's proven gunshot location system to fight two environmental catastrophes: Rhinoceros poaching and Fish Bombing.
Acoustic Detection
Hydrophones are used to detect bombings. These specialized microphones are designed for underwater use and can withstand corrosion and destructive wildlife.
Computing A Bomb’s Location
Comparing blast reports from multiple sensors allows automatic and accurate triangulation of bomb locations to be computed.
Future Development & Challenges
Experiments in 2015 and 2017, and results from production deployments in 2019 and 2020 give a very promising outlook.
