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So we've talked about how climate[br]change can mess with food supply,

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but conflict can, too.

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Farmers flee, ports get cut off,

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and bombs can devastate [br]the utilities that irrigate land,

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and keep the water clean.

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That's exactly what happened in Iraq.

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And it's changing how people get [br]the key ingredient in their national dish.

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(Tarek) <i>For thousands of years,</i>

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<i>these marshes have provided[br]the people of Southern Iraq with fish.</i>

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<i>Lots and lots of fish.</i>

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<i>Carp has been the favorite here,</i>

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<i>going back all the way to [br]when this area was part of Babylonia.</i>

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<i>It is grilled and seasoned [br]to make masgouf,</i>

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<i>which is now known[br]as Iraq's national dish.</i>

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<i>Decades of war, invasion, [br]and political instability</i>

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<i>have devastated the country's waterways.</i>

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<i>But fish's place in Iraqi culture[br]is as strong as ever.</i>

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<i>What has changed is how people get it.</i>

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TASTE OF A NATION

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(Tarek) We are in the Dhi Qar marshes,[br]it's four in the morning,

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we're heading out with some fishermen [br]who use electricity to catch their fish.

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It's an illegal form of fishing,[br]but it's one way for people to make money.

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(Samer) This is the generator, [br]and this is the converter.

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It outputs two cables, live and ground.

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The ground cable goes into the water.

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And the live cable[br]is attached to my net here.

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So the power stuns the fish to my net,[br]and I scoop it.

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(Tarek) <i>Samer Kadhim comes to the marshes[br]five times a week for electrofishing,</i>

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<i>a method his father taught him</i>

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<i>that helps him to quickly catch[br]large amounts of fish at once.</i>

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<i>Electrofishing is illegal [br]in most countries, including Iraq,</i>

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<i>because it can destroy ecosystems [br]and already fragile fish populations.</i>

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(Tarek) What kind of fish[br]do you catch here?

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(Samer) We fish carp,[br]tilapia, and boshbosh.

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This is tilapia.

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And this is boshbosh.

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Since it's an illegal job,[br]aren't you afraid of getting arrested?

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No, I'm not afraid.

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The police have nothing to do with it.

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They don't arrest you.

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It's how we get our daily income.

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There are four or five people[br]in each house,

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a family.

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We have God and fishing.

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<i>♪ And I sharpen them ♪</i>

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<i>♪ the knives of time, I sharpen them ♪</i>

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<i>♪ I sharpen them, and my father[br]never had mercy on me ♪</i>

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(Tarek) <i>Abu Haider is a fisherman [br]and a tour guide.</i>

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<i>He grew up in the marshes,</i>

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<i>watched them changed,</i>

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<i>and in the 90s, mourn their loss.</i>

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<i>That's when then president Saddam Hussein[br]drain the marshes,</i>

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<i>The Middle East largest wetlands</i>

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<i>as a military strategy[br]to control his opposition.</i>

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<i>Water return to the marshes in 2003,[br]but it wasn't the same.</i>

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(Abu Haider) When we lived here,[br]the area was not like this.

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The water was sweet.

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We didn't filter the water,[br]and drank directly from the marsh.

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If everything remains as it is,

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what do you think would happen

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in the marshes and its life in the future?

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The first shortage will be in fish.

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The fish resources will dry out.

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(Tarek) <i>Pollution has made losing fish,[br]or at least one safe enough to eat,</i>

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<i>a very real and looming threat.</i>

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<i>But, for now, fish is savored, [br]especially when it comes to masgouf,</i>

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<i>and preparation is taken very seriously.</i>

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(Abu Haider) So, let's get them[br]in the the dishes.

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Be careful. Don't burn your hand.[br]Turn it upside down.

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Move it like this.

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(Tarek) Mmmm...

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- This is marshland fish. [br]- Marshland fish.

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(Tarek) Very tasty.

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How much has the taste [br]of this fish changed

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in comparison to fish back in the day?

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The days in the past were better.[br]In the '80s.

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In the '80s, the water[br]was clean and clear.

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It was tastier than this fish.

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(Tarek) <i>The water from the marshes [br]flows south to Basra, Iraq's fish capital.</i>

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<i>The quality of water here got so bad,</i>

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<i>that in 2018 more than 100,000 people [br]were hospitalized</i>

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<i>with symptoms related[br]to contaminated water.</i>

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<i>Widespread protests broke out against[br]what people believe caused the crisis--</i>

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<i>government negligence and corruption.</i>

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<i>The situation did little to change[br]Basra's reputation for fish,</i>

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<i>but restaurants have had to adjust.</i>

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<i>[Menam Ma'a Shaari] is one of the city's[br]most popular spots,</i>

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<i>and specializes in masgouf.</i>

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We usually bring the fish[br]and everyday is fresh.

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This is actually raised in ponds,[br]it's not really from the river, you know.

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(Tarek) <i>They've turned away [br]from wild caught fish</i>

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<i>in favor of those raised on farms,</i>

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<i>which many owners see [br]as safer and more dependable.</i>

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This cutting method[br]is specific to masgouf.

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You go from the head to the tail.

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(Tarek) On a day like today,[br]which is Friday,

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how many fish do you grill?

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Well, around 80 or 80 or 70.

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How important is masgouf to Iraqis?

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Masgouf has really specific importance, [br]to be frank with you.

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It has a special taste, you know,

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like even the time they spend[br]when they grow the fish,

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it gives value to the dish.

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So people loves it.

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(Tarek) <i>All the factors that threaten [br]the country's fish</i>

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<i>are not going away anytime soon.</i>

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<i>But in some ways,[br]they've made fish more appreciated,</i>

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<i>a way to feel connected to what Iraq is...</i>

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<i>and has been.</i>