A student from Bradford could be dodging dynamite as she tries to persuade an island's fishermen to use a less destructive way of catching fish.

Frances Stringer, 18, hopes to travel to Mafia Island in Tanzania, East Africa, to take part in an environmental training project.

The Eccleshill teenager, who lives in High House Avenue, intends to study the devastating effect dynamite fishing is having on the island's marine life at the Dar Es Falaam University.

She also will be trying to persuade the local fisherman to consider a less damaging way of farming the sea's natural resources.

Frances, a first year chemistry and environmental student at Nottingham's Trent University, has already taken part in environmental projects in Bradford, including the Allotments' Association Group and the recycling co-operative Waste Chasers. She said: "Dynamite fishing is an extremely destructive way of fishing that the locals use to catch fish for themselves and their families. The explosives are placed under the coral reefs and blown up and the dead fish just float to the surface.

"Once the coral reefs have been destroyed then they don't grow back. It doesn't just kill the fish but all the other creatures that live in the coral."

To help her get her message across, Frances has to learn Swahili and pass her Sports Diver Certificate - for which she will be training at the less exotic location of Eccleshill Pool - so she can scuba dive.

Meanwhile she has to raise at least £1,500 for the trip, organised by the Frontiers Company, which will go ahead in July and August next year.

"I'm looking to try and get a bit of sponsorship or donated diving equipment like a few buoys and things like compasses,'' she said. "It really is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn about the coral reef and how people live out there and how the problems of dynamite fishing can be solved."

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