1 00:00:02,017 --> 00:00:05,092 So we've talked about how climate change can mess with food supply, 2 00:00:05,092 --> 00:00:06,676 but conflict can, too. 3 00:00:06,676 --> 00:00:09,062 Farmers flee, ports get cut off, 4 00:00:09,062 --> 00:00:11,411 and bombs can devastate the utilities that irrigate land, 5 00:00:11,411 --> 00:00:12,844 and keep the water clean. 6 00:00:12,844 --> 00:00:14,766 That's exactly what happened in Iraq. 7 00:00:14,766 --> 00:00:18,762 And it's changing how people get the key ingredient in their national dish. 8 00:00:22,292 --> 00:00:23,496 (Tarek) For thousands of years, 9 00:00:23,496 --> 00:00:27,026 these marshes have provided the people of Southern Iraq with fish. 10 00:00:28,034 --> 00:00:29,512 Lots and lots of fish. 11 00:00:30,382 --> 00:00:32,198 Carp has been the favorite here, 12 00:00:32,198 --> 00:00:35,464 going back all the way to when this area was part of Babylonia. 13 00:00:36,611 --> 00:00:39,203 It is grilled and seasoned to make masgouf, 14 00:00:39,203 --> 00:00:41,976 which is now known as Iraq's national dish. 15 00:00:42,850 --> 00:00:45,714 Decades of war, invasion, and political instability 16 00:00:45,714 --> 00:00:48,179 have devastated the country's waterways. 17 00:00:48,179 --> 00:00:53,009 But fish's place in Iraqi culture is as strong as ever. 18 00:00:53,678 --> 00:00:56,026 What has changed is how people get it. 19 00:00:58,103 --> 00:01:01,562 TASTE OF A NATION 20 00:01:12,515 --> 00:01:14,999 (Tarek) We are in the Dhi Qar marshes, it's four in the morning, 21 00:01:14,999 --> 00:01:18,609 we're heading out with some fishermen who use electricity to catch their fish. 22 00:01:19,980 --> 00:01:24,430 It's an illegal form of fishing, but it's one way for people to make money. 23 00:01:26,870 --> 00:01:31,993 (Samer) This is the generator, and this is the converter. 24 00:01:33,169 --> 00:01:34,869 It outputs two cables, live and ground. 25 00:01:34,869 --> 00:01:36,283 The ground cable goes into the water. 26 00:01:36,816 --> 00:01:38,694 And the live cable is attached to my net here. 27 00:01:46,213 --> 00:01:49,685 So the power stuns the fish to my net, and I scoop it. 28 00:01:51,595 --> 00:01:55,013 (Tarek) Samer Kadhim comes to the marshes five times a week for electrofishing, 29 00:01:55,431 --> 00:01:57,166 a method his father taught him 30 00:01:57,166 --> 00:02:00,227 that helps him to quickly catch large amounts of fish at once. 31 00:02:03,831 --> 00:02:07,594 Electrofishing is illegal in most countries, including Iraq, 32 00:02:07,594 --> 00:02:11,932 because it can destroy ecosystems and already fragile fish populations. 33 00:02:13,762 --> 00:02:15,800 (Tarek) What kind of fish do you catch here? 34 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,866 (Samer) We fish carp, tilapia, and boshbosh. 35 00:02:20,327 --> 00:02:21,361 This is tilapia. 36 00:02:21,763 --> 00:02:22,832 And this is boshbosh. 37 00:02:23,301 --> 00:02:27,607 Since it's an illegal job, aren't you afraid of getting arrested? 38 00:02:27,607 --> 00:02:29,378 No, I'm not afraid. 39 00:02:29,378 --> 00:02:31,114 The police have nothing to do with it. 40 00:02:31,114 --> 00:02:34,014 They don't arrest you. 41 00:02:34,014 --> 00:02:35,907 It's how we get our daily income. 42 00:02:36,932 --> 00:02:39,148 There are four or five people in each house, 43 00:02:39,148 --> 00:02:41,693 a family. 44 00:02:42,627 --> 00:02:44,132 We have God and fishing. 45 00:02:46,426 --> 00:02:49,443 ♪ And I sharpen them ♪ 46 00:02:49,443 --> 00:02:54,962 ♪ the knives of time, I sharpen them ♪ 47 00:02:54,962 --> 00:03:01,793 ♪ I sharpen them, and my father never had mercy on me ♪ 48 00:03:03,334 --> 00:03:07,553 (Tarek) Abu Haider is a fisherman and a tour guide. 49 00:03:07,553 --> 00:03:08,530 He grew up in the marshes, 50 00:03:08,530 --> 00:03:10,042 watched them changed, 51 00:03:10,042 --> 00:03:11,376 and in the 90s, mourn their loss. 52 00:03:12,293 --> 00:03:16,068 That's when then president Saddam Hussein drain the marshes, 53 00:03:16,068 --> 00:03:18,016 The Middle East largest wetlands 54 00:03:18,016 --> 00:03:20,614 as a military strategy to control his opposition. 55 00:03:21,531 --> 00:03:25,578 Water return to the marshes in 2003, but it wasn't the same. 56 00:03:30,821 --> 00:03:34,477 (Abu Haider) When we lived here, the area was not like this. 57 00:03:34,477 --> 00:03:36,017 The water was sweet. 58 00:03:36,017 --> 00:03:41,461 We didn't filter the water, and drank directly from the marsh. 59 00:03:41,461 --> 00:03:44,418 If everything remains as it is, 60 00:03:44,418 --> 00:03:46,402 what do you think would happen 61 00:03:46,402 --> 00:03:48,163 in the marshes and its life in the future? 62 00:03:48,163 --> 00:03:50,489 The first shortage will be in fish. 63 00:03:51,978 --> 00:03:55,360 The fish resources will dry out. 64 00:03:58,361 --> 00:04:01,909 (Tarek) Pollution has made losing fish, or at least one safe enough to eat, 65 00:04:01,909 --> 00:04:03,682 a very real and looming threat. 66 00:04:04,803 --> 00:04:08,586 But, for now, fish is savored, especially when it comes to masgouf, 67 00:04:10,764 --> 00:04:13,343 and preparation is taken very seriously. 68 00:04:16,949 --> 00:04:19,237 (Abu Haider) So, let's get them in the the dishes. 69 00:04:19,237 --> 00:04:21,476 Be careful. Don't burn your hand. Turn it upside down. 70 00:04:21,476 --> 00:04:23,782 Move it like this. 71 00:04:24,414 --> 00:04:25,143 (Tarek) Mmmm... 72 00:04:25,767 --> 00:04:27,849 - This is marshland fish. - Marshland fish. 73 00:04:30,161 --> 00:04:32,278 (Tarek) Very tasty. 74 00:04:33,997 --> 00:04:40,583 How much has the taste of this fish changed 75 00:04:40,583 --> 00:04:42,550 in comparison to fish back in the day? 76 00:04:42,550 --> 00:04:44,477 The days in the past were better. In the '80s. 77 00:04:44,477 --> 00:04:48,946 In the '80s, the water was clean and clear. 78 00:04:49,401 --> 00:04:51,651 It was tastier than this fish. 79 00:04:53,314 --> 00:04:58,432 (Tarek) The water from the marshes flows south to Basra, Iraq's fish capital. 80 00:04:59,294 --> 00:05:02,003 The quality of water here got so bad, 81 00:05:02,003 --> 00:05:05,709 that in 2018 more than 100,000 people were hospitalized 82 00:05:05,709 --> 00:05:08,014 with symptoms related to contaminated water. 83 00:05:09,297 --> 00:05:13,318 Widespread protests broke out against what people believe caused the crisis-- 84 00:05:14,030 --> 00:05:16,227 government negligence and corruption. 85 00:05:17,295 --> 00:05:21,477 The situation did little to change Basra's reputation for fish, 86 00:05:21,477 --> 00:05:23,553 but restaurants have had to adjust. 87 00:05:27,618 --> 00:05:31,114 [Menam Ma'a Shaari] is one of the city's most popular spots, 88 00:05:31,114 --> 00:05:32,644 and specializes in masgouf. 89 00:05:35,144 --> 00:05:38,928 We usually bring the fish and everyday is fresh. 90 00:05:38,928 --> 00:05:43,563 This is actually raised in ponds, it's not really from the river, you know. 91 00:05:44,461 --> 00:05:46,768 (Tarek) They've turned away from wild caught fish 92 00:05:46,768 --> 00:05:49,115 in favor of those raised on farms, 93 00:05:49,115 --> 00:05:52,896 which many owners see as safer and more dependable. 94 00:05:57,899 --> 00:06:00,764 This cutting method is specific to masgouf. 95 00:06:00,764 --> 00:06:03,603 You go from the head to the tail. 96 00:06:08,835 --> 00:06:12,027 (Tarek) On a day like today, which is Friday, 97 00:06:12,027 --> 00:06:13,728 how many fish do you grill? 98 00:06:13,728 --> 00:06:17,411 Well, around 80 or 80 or 70. 99 00:06:23,196 --> 00:06:27,779 How important is masgouf to Iraqis? 100 00:06:27,779 --> 00:06:32,013 Masgouf has really specific importance, to be frank with you. 101 00:06:32,013 --> 00:06:33,712 It has a special taste, you know, 102 00:06:33,712 --> 00:06:37,130 like even the time they spend when they grow the fish, 103 00:06:37,130 --> 00:06:39,348 it gives value to the dish. 104 00:06:39,348 --> 00:06:40,449 So people loves it. 105 00:06:41,464 --> 00:06:44,115 (Tarek) All the factors that threaten the country's fish 106 00:06:44,115 --> 00:06:46,198 are not going away anytime soon. 107 00:06:47,453 --> 00:06:50,682 But in some ways, they've made fish more appreciated, 108 00:06:51,561 --> 00:06:54,446 a way to feel connected to what Iraq is... 109 00:06:54,446 --> 00:06:55,726 and has been.