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So we've talked about how climate
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
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
the key ingredient in their national dish.
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(Tarek) For thousands of years,
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these marshes have provided
the people of Southern Iraq with fish.
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Lots and lots of fish.
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Carp has been the favorite here,
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going back all the way to
when this area was part of Babylonia.
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It is grilled and seasoned
to make masgouf,
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which is now known
as Iraq's national dish.
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Decades of war, invasion,
and political instability
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have devastated the country's waterways.
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But fish's place in Iraqi culture
is as strong as ever.
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What has changed is how people get it.
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TASTE OF A NATION
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(Tarek) We are in the Dhi Qar marshes,
it's four in the morning,
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we're heading out with some fishermen
who use electricity to catch their fish.
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It's an illegal form of fishing,
but it's one way for people to make money.
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(Samer) This is the generator,
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
is attached to my net here.
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So the power stuns the fish to my net,
and I scoop it.
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(Tarek) Samer Kadhim comes to the marshes
five times a week for electrofishing,
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a method his father taught him
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that helps him to quickly catch
large amounts of fish at once.
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Electrofishing is illegal
in most countries, including Iraq,
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because it can destroy ecosystems
and already fragile fish populations.
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(Tarek) What kind of fish
do you catch here?
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(Samer) We fish carp,
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,
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
in each house,
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a family.
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We have God and fishing.
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♪ And I sharpen them ♪
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♪ the knives of time, I sharpen them ♪
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♪ I sharpen them, and my father
never had mercy on me ♪
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(Tarek) Abu Haider is a fisherman
and a tour guide.
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He grew up in the marshes,
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watched them changed,
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and in the 90s, mourn their loss.
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That's when then president Saddam Hussein
drain the marshes,
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The Middle East largest wetlands
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as a military strategy
to control his opposition.
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Water return to the marshes in 2003,
but it wasn't the same.
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(Abu Haider) When we lived here,
the area was not like this.
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The water was sweet.
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We didn't filter the water,
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) Pollution has made losing fish,
or at least one safe enough to eat,
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a very real and looming threat.
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But, for now, fish is savored,
especially when it comes to masgouf,
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and preparation is taken very seriously.
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(Abu Haider) So, let's get them
in the the dishes.
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Be careful. Don't burn your hand.
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.
- Marshland fish.
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(Tarek) Very tasty.
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How much has the taste
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.
In the '80s.
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In the '80s, the water
was clean and clear.
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It was tastier than this fish.
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(Tarek) The water from the marshes
flows south to Basra, Iraq's fish capital.
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The quality of water here got so bad,
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that in 2018 more than 100,000 people
were hospitalized
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with symptoms related
to contaminated water.
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Widespread protests broke out against
what people believe caused the crisis--
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government negligence and corruption.
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The situation did little to change
Basra's reputation for fish,
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but restaurants have had to adjust.
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[Menam Ma'a Shaari] is one of the city's
most popular spots,
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and specializes in masgouf.
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We usually bring the fish
and everyday is fresh.
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This is actually raised in ponds,
it's not really from the river, you know.
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(Tarek) They've turned away
from wild caught fish
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in favor of those raised on farms,
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which many owners see
as safer and more dependable.
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This cutting method
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,
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,
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
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) All the factors that threaten
the country's fish
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are not going away anytime soon.
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But in some ways,
they've made fish more appreciated,
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a way to feel connected to what Iraq is...
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and has been.