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Hunting fishes and other sea creatures for commercial purposes, has been a key avenue through which man makes revenue. The need to generate profit has often seen fishermen take some desperate measures; one of which is cyanide fishing- this entails the applying sodium cyanide squirt onto reefs in order to daze fishes which are thereafter collected. The practice is aimed at capturing live fishes. The fishes caught through this process are primarily used in the aquarium but there are instances where such (fishes) are being caught for consumption. Although this practice is prohibited in many nations; it still appears to be on the rise thus raising concerns from the regulatory bodies.

Cyanide fishing results in a lot of wastefulness as some of the fishes might end up dying [due to cyanide poisoning] before the fisherman eventually collects them. Again, fishes caught alive are seldomly prone to developing cancerous growth as time passes by. Coupled with this, other (non-target) organisms are also affected as their natural habitat is infringed upon.

Although reports on the effects of cyanide fishing on humans, are scarce but cyanide [through consumption or inhalation] still portends great danger to humans. The accumulation of trace amount of the chemical in the body  system can ultimately unsettle one's general well-being; it could cause nausea, asphyxiation and even death when in high concentration. And besides, endangering the fishes- and maybe the end-consumers- fishermen who practise this method of fishing also place their lives at a great(er) risk as they hardly wear the appropriate protective gear while embarking on this activity. Plus, this set of fishermen also risk being arrested by the authority.

When you circumspectly consider the risks attached to this exercise (cyanide fishing); you will see that the implicit overall cost is higher than the gains that could be obtained through it.