1
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I'm deep in the Brazilian Amazon.
2
00:00:08,647 --> 00:00:12,526
I think you can safely say
that this is the wet season.
3
00:00:12,567 --> 00:00:15,604
Rainwater pours into the rivers,
4
00:00:15,647 --> 00:00:19,003
flooding vast areas of this great forest
5
00:00:19,047 --> 00:00:22,926
and creating one of the richest
natural landscapes on earth.
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It's the most extraordinary place.
7
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My God!
8
00:00:29,247 --> 00:00:34,037
I'm on my way to live with
the Ribeirinhos, the river people.
9
00:00:34,087 --> 00:00:35,566
Meu nome e Bruce.
10
00:00:35,607 --> 00:00:39,919
These are the descendants of
early settlers and indigenous tribes
11
00:00:39,967 --> 00:00:43,755
and they rely on the river
and the forest for their survival.
12
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I'm off again on the hunt for pirarucu.
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This is fishing.
14
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They understand this place
better than anyone.
15
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(GULPS)
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He's calling for caiman.
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And quite distressingly,
they're calling back.
18
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Now their unique knowledge may offer
a lifeline for the future of the Amazon.
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(WHISTLING)
20
00:01:24,287 --> 00:01:25,800
(SHOUTING)
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I'm leaving Tabatinga,
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00:01:27,567 --> 00:01:31,685
a logging town on the borders
of Brazil, Peru and Columbia.
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So far on my journey,
I've trekked with llamas,
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00:01:35,687 --> 00:01:39,726
been in canoes, rafts, airplanes,
buses, all sorts of transport,
25
00:01:39,767 --> 00:01:44,363
but for the next month I'm gonna be
almost exclusively back on the Amazon,
26
00:01:44,407 --> 00:01:47,604
and what better way
to start this stage of my journey
27
00:01:47,647 --> 00:01:50,286
than on a public cruise ship
like this one.
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I started out four and a half months ago
at the source of the Amazon River.
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I'm following its course to the sea,
30
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learning about life here
from the people I meet on the way.
31
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Now I'm heading for a beautiful
nature reserve called Mamiraua.
32
00:02:12,047 --> 00:02:15,835
Ah, we don't set off
for another couple of hours yet,
33
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but people are already milling around,
34
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because the secret is to find
your hammock space really early.
35
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Here people are utterly dependent
on the river.
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It's a lifeline linking towns and cities.
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It's so nice to be finally
on some proper public transport,
38
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because, of course, from here on in
the Amazon just gets bigger and bigger
39
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and it is the route to get anywhere.
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There's no roads or anything
that go any distances round here.
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00:02:49,127 --> 00:02:51,880
So you want to get anywhere,
you use these
42
00:02:51,927 --> 00:02:56,205
and I couldn't say that I'd even been
on the Amazon unless I'd experienced this,
43
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so it's really nice to finally be here.
44
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With very few roads
through the dense jungle,
45
00:03:10,367 --> 00:03:14,440
tonnes of Peruvian and Columbian goods
bound for Brazil and beyond
46
00:03:14,487 --> 00:03:17,604
are transported by river
through this border town.
47
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(HORN)
48
00:03:28,607 --> 00:03:32,236
Thousands of people
travel like this every day.
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The distances are enormous, it can take
days getting to your destination.
50
00:03:46,167 --> 00:03:50,877
We're all packed in like sardines,
so you soon get to know your neighbours.
51
00:03:50,927 --> 00:03:53,760
Si? Oh...
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It's a very sociable form of transport,
and a great way to see the Amazon.
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There's not much to do,
54
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but lie in your hammock
and watch the jungle slide slowly by.
55
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One of the troubles
with being in the border lands,
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especially between Brazil,
Peru and Columbia
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is that any movement down the river here,
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you're gonna be subject
to a fair bit of searching.
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These guys here have been going through
every single bag on this boat.
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This is a major trade route
from Peru and Columbia,
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00:04:59,807 --> 00:05:02,196
so cocaine trafficking is rife.
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00:05:02,247 --> 00:05:05,796
The Brazilian Federal Police
have posts along the river
63
00:05:05,847 --> 00:05:08,964
where they stop and check every vessel
that passes through.
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They turn the place over,
searching every bag and box
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and it looks like they've found something.
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00:05:18,407 --> 00:05:23,481
They've just taken a guy off here,
and I know that on the boat just before
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they found a bloke
with 15 kilograms of cocaine.
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00:05:35,927 --> 00:05:38,919
Just been chatting
to one of the policemen,
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they don't really want to
show their face on camera,
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00:05:41,287 --> 00:05:44,404
but what they did tell me was,
for the last four months,
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00:05:44,447 --> 00:05:48,281
every single boat like this that's come
down this stretch of the Amazon
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they've found contraband, mostly cocaine.
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00:05:51,367 --> 00:05:55,406
And when you think this is
the largest route access out,
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leaving Colombia and Peru,
heading out towards the Atlantic,
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it's no surprise really.
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00:06:01,807 --> 00:06:08,155
Over 85% of the world's cocaine
is produced in Colombia and Peru,
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00:06:08,207 --> 00:06:11,643
hundreds of tonnes every year,
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00:06:11,687 --> 00:06:14,724
and a lot of it is smuggled
down the Amazon by boat.
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00:06:14,767 --> 00:06:16,405
How did you see this?
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00:06:16,447 --> 00:06:17,596
The weight.
81
00:06:17,647 --> 00:06:19,558
- The weight of the bag?
- Look here.
82
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Oh.
83
00:06:22,207 --> 00:06:23,606
Wow!
84
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Here and here.
85
00:06:30,807 --> 00:06:33,401
How much do you think all of this is?
86
00:06:33,447 --> 00:06:37,679
We really don't know, it's about two.
87
00:06:37,727 --> 00:06:40,036
- Two kilograms?
- Two kilograms. About two.
88
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OK, and if this becomes a prosecution
89
00:06:43,367 --> 00:06:46,484
and in Brazilian law
for two kilograms of trafficking,
90
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what can somebody expect
to get as a penalty?
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00:06:50,167 --> 00:06:51,600
From five to 15.
92
00:06:51,647 --> 00:06:53,603
Five to 15 years?
93
00:06:54,647 --> 00:06:56,000
We can prove it's cocaine.
94
00:06:56,047 --> 00:06:58,607
You have the chemicals, yeah?
95
00:06:58,647 --> 00:07:00,877
- If it gets blue it's cocaine.
- Sure.
96
00:07:00,927 --> 00:07:02,406
You want to see?
97
00:07:08,327 --> 00:07:09,601
Ah.
98
00:07:09,647 --> 00:07:12,957
It's cocaine. No doubt, it's cocaine.
99
00:07:13,007 --> 00:07:17,205
The cocaine trade dominates
the west of the Amazon.
100
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I've seen it being processed
in the hills of Peru
101
00:07:20,287 --> 00:07:23,723
and now being smuggled
along the rivers of Brazil.
102
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My next stop is one of the most
interesting places in the Amazon Basin,
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00:07:35,127 --> 00:07:37,118
the Mamiraua Nature Reserve.
104
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It's a huge protected area,
more than twice the size of Wales.
105
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Every year, during the rainy season
the rivers burst their banks,
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flooding a vast area.
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This flooded forest is home to some
of the Amazon's most amazing species.
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But it's also the location
for a pioneering experiment,
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a way to balance the needs
of the environment
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and the people who live here.
111
00:08:15,327 --> 00:08:20,526
Already the forest here looks really
different to anything I've seen before
112
00:08:20,567 --> 00:08:24,162
and I am now actually within
the Mamiraua Reserve,
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00:08:24,207 --> 00:08:26,721
and the first village
that I'm gonna go and visit
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is one of the larger fishing communities
it's called Jarua.
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There I hope to meet the president so that
I can get permission to stay in this area.
116
00:08:35,247 --> 00:08:39,365
More than 20 million people live
in the Amazon Basin.
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Most depend on the river
and the forest for survival
118
00:08:42,887 --> 00:08:48,837
and overfishing and overhunting
is decimating wildlife in many areas.
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I'm about to meet people who are trying
to find a way to live sustainably.
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If they succeed they could help to protect
wildlife across the whole Amazon.
121
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Wooh!
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Cool! What a great looking place.
123
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We've just come down the
whole length of the village,
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everyone's just sitting in their doorways,
like this line of houses,
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all of them on stilts
126
00:09:32,487 --> 00:09:35,638
and now I've just got to go
and find Lourdes,
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who's the community leader here.
128
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The people here are known as Ribeirinhos,
the river people.
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They're the descendants of early settlers
and indigenous tribes
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and their lives are shaped
by the ebb and flow of the Amazon.
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- Todo bem?
- Todo bem.
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Donde esta Dona Lourdes?
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(SPEAKS PORTUGUESE)
134
00:10:03,127 --> 00:10:04,116
Ah, OK.
135
00:10:06,727 --> 00:10:07,955
Dona Lourdes?
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00:10:09,007 --> 00:10:13,125
As the flood waters rise,
the villagers will soon have to use canoes
137
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to visit their next-door neighbours.
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00:10:16,487 --> 00:10:17,681
Meu nome es Bruce.
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Dona Lourdes is the president
of Jarua Village.
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- Todo bem.
- Todo bem.
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00:10:23,127 --> 00:10:27,120
She's arranged for me
to spend some time with her son,Jorge,
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or Tapioca as he's known.
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Tapioca is a fisherman,
the best for miles around.
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He's spent his life fishing
in the flooded forest
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and knows this place better than anyone.
146
00:10:39,407 --> 00:10:44,527
Tapioca, what's the biggest reason
your nets here get destroyed?
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Really?
148
00:10:59,567 --> 00:11:03,958
Caiman are closely related
to American alligators.
149
00:11:04,007 --> 00:11:08,398
They can grow up to nine feet long
and weigh up to 200 kilograms.
150
00:11:12,847 --> 00:11:18,080
It's illegal to hunt them commercially
within the reserve, but people do
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00:11:18,127 --> 00:11:21,597
and use their fatty meat
as bait to catch catfish.
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(LAUGHS) Yeah,
you can feel the difference.
153
00:11:25,127 --> 00:11:28,199
That is a bit of hardwood! That is heavy.
154
00:11:28,247 --> 00:11:32,399
Much of the hunting and fishing here
is done with harpoons like this.
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Hardcore bit of kit.
156
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Wow!
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For decades, fishermen like Tapioca
have made their money supplying fish
158
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for the rapidly growing cities
of Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
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00:11:50,727 --> 00:11:53,036
But they could never supply enough
160
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and the fish populations
of the flooded forest were crashing.
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The Ribeirinhos'livelihood was threatened
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and there was a risk that some species
would disappear from here for ever.
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Between this open lake here
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and all the other secret hidden lakes
further beyond,
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the only way to really get there
through all this flooded forest
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is in these tiny little canoes.
167
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This is where the fun starts.
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OK.
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Tapioca has spent much of his life
canoeing through this forest.
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We're actually paddling close
to the forest canopy,
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which for the rest of the year
is nearly 50 feet above the ground.
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Now animals like sloths
and howler monkeys
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that normally live
high above the forest floor
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are only feet away from the water.
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It's the most extraordinary place.
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00:13:06,927 --> 00:13:12,923
I've been in mangroves, swamps, and
different types of watery forests before,
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but never like this, this is just like
a normal rainforest, tropical forest,
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but just flooded and as a result just has
this really sort of ethereal feel to it.
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The flooded forest is a magical place.
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This unique ecosystem supports
a dazzling array of wildlife.
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00:13:40,687 --> 00:13:46,762
400 species of bird,
and at least 45 kinds of mammal.
182
00:13:46,807 --> 00:13:51,039
Rare pink river dolphins
weave between the trees
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00:13:51,087 --> 00:13:54,602
and giant otters play amongst
the flooded branches.
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The water teems
with countless species of fish.
185
00:14:04,367 --> 00:14:10,636
I can't believe it! Literally, it's only
a minute since we tied up the net
186
00:14:10,687 --> 00:14:16,717
and we're just going back along its length
and here we have two fish already.
187
00:14:17,767 --> 00:14:20,156
Pirarucu.
188
00:14:20,207 --> 00:14:25,076
Pirarucu is the name for the biggest
species of freshwater fish
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00:14:25,127 --> 00:14:26,958
that you'll find here in the Amazon.
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00:14:27,007 --> 00:14:30,204
And it's one of the things that
I know that he is a specialist at.
191
00:14:30,247 --> 00:14:33,796
And we were just sat here
pulling these fish out and he heard one!
192
00:14:33,847 --> 00:14:37,635
Can you imagine hearing fish?
This guy, unreal.
193
00:14:43,127 --> 00:14:46,278
20 years ago, hunting and overfishing
194
00:14:46,327 --> 00:14:49,524
were posing such a threat
to the environment here
195
00:14:49,567 --> 00:14:51,922
that something had to change
196
00:14:51,967 --> 00:14:55,277
and Mamiraua was designated a reserve.
197
00:14:56,847 --> 00:15:01,284
In Brazil, people weren't normally
allowed to live in a conservation area,
198
00:15:01,327 --> 00:15:05,036
but here a revolutionary approach
was adopted.
199
00:15:05,087 --> 00:15:09,205
The idea was to form an alliance
between the conservationists,
200
00:15:09,247 --> 00:15:12,364
who were concerned about
the wildlife and the environment
201
00:15:12,407 --> 00:15:16,798
and the Ribeirinhos
who needed to make a living here.
202
00:15:16,847 --> 00:15:19,839
The Ribeirinhos would use
their unique river knowledge
203
00:15:19,887 --> 00:15:22,355
to collect data for the scientists.
204
00:15:22,407 --> 00:15:25,080
The scientists in turn
would teach the Ribeirinhos
205
00:15:25,127 --> 00:15:28,437
how to fish in a sustainable way.
206
00:15:30,447 --> 00:15:32,358
Apparently the rain's gonna come,
207
00:15:32,407 --> 00:15:35,797
so Tapioca's asked if I can come
and help this gentleman -
208
00:15:35,847 --> 00:15:39,999
I think it's his brother-in-law -
put the roof on his house.
209
00:15:44,407 --> 00:15:48,685
I'm only here for a week,
but I want to earn my keep.
210
00:15:48,727 --> 00:15:52,436
To make a roof like this
they need as much help as possible,
211
00:15:52,487 --> 00:15:54,523
so everybody pitches in.
212
00:15:54,567 --> 00:15:57,559
We're trying to finish it
before it rains again.
213
00:15:57,607 --> 00:16:01,520
Wherever I go in the world, there's always
a slightly different technique,
214
00:16:01,567 --> 00:16:04,559
a slightly different thatch,
slightly different joint.
215
00:16:07,367 --> 00:16:12,964
But always effective and always great fun.
216
00:16:13,007 --> 00:16:17,319
The women have collected the palm fronds
from the village plantation,
217
00:16:17,367 --> 00:16:19,198
a short boat ride from here.
218
00:16:24,687 --> 00:16:28,123
We've got to get a move on,
there's a storm blowing in.
219
00:16:31,047 --> 00:16:34,278
The rain better not be imminent.
220
00:16:34,327 --> 00:16:37,478
Cos this house ain't gonna
be done in the next hour.
221
00:16:39,727 --> 00:16:41,206
We pick up the pace,
222
00:16:41,247 --> 00:16:46,321
it's a race against the weather,
a race we were never going to win.
223
00:16:52,727 --> 00:16:55,958
(THUNDER)
224
00:16:58,207 --> 00:17:01,005
We're in the middle of the wet season
225
00:17:01,047 --> 00:17:04,835
and it pours with warm heavy rain
every day.
226
00:17:04,887 --> 00:17:07,640
The Amazon is one
of the wettest places on Earth.
227
00:17:07,687 --> 00:17:11,123
Some areas average
over six feet of rain a year.
228
00:17:12,967 --> 00:17:16,004
It's not a good time to be without a roof.
229
00:17:25,367 --> 00:17:28,325
I want to understand
how the reserve operates,
230
00:17:28,367 --> 00:17:32,565
228 scientists work alongside
the Ribeirinhos
231
00:17:32,607 --> 00:17:35,280
and I'm heading out with one of them.
232
00:17:35,327 --> 00:17:38,364
Robin Arias is studying caiman.
233
00:17:38,407 --> 00:17:42,241
For many years they were hunted
for their meat and their valuable skins
234
00:17:42,287 --> 00:17:44,403
and they became critically endangered,
235
00:17:44,447 --> 00:17:48,406
but after a hunting ban,
their numbers have increased.
236
00:17:53,007 --> 00:17:57,398
Tonight, Robin's gonna come out
and try and spot and identify,
237
00:17:57,447 --> 00:18:01,201
maybe even capture some of the caimans
that live in this area,
238
00:18:01,247 --> 00:18:05,320
but because he does that at night,
which is the best way to capture them,
239
00:18:05,367 --> 00:18:09,804
he has to actually reconnaissance
the location during daylight hours.
240
00:18:15,807 --> 00:18:16,922
Si, si, si.
241
00:18:16,967 --> 00:18:19,197
It's just an extraordinary place
looking around
242
00:18:19,247 --> 00:18:22,523
cos you can see last year's
sort of high water mark,
243
00:18:22,567 --> 00:18:25,525
the dark rings on all
of these trees around.
244
00:18:25,567 --> 00:18:28,604
In a couple of months or so,
the water will be up to there again,
245
00:18:28,647 --> 00:18:32,925
so all this green will have gone, it will
just be water as far as the eye can see.
246
00:18:36,407 --> 00:18:41,242
At this time of year, it's hard to break
through these huge banks of grass,
247
00:18:41,287 --> 00:18:45,758
but Robin is confident we'll find some
young caiman here once it's dark.
248
00:19:04,607 --> 00:19:07,440
The Ribeirinhos are experts
at spotting caiman,
249
00:19:07,487 --> 00:19:10,524
so they can gather detailed data
for his research.
250
00:19:47,007 --> 00:19:49,567
With this really high-powered beam,
251
00:19:49,607 --> 00:19:52,201
it's actually relatively easy
to spot the caiman
252
00:19:52,247 --> 00:19:55,956
even in the rushes, because
just like a rabbit in the headlights,
253
00:19:56,007 --> 00:19:59,238
we can see the shine of the light
coming back at us,
254
00:19:59,287 --> 00:20:00,925
which is where we identify them.
255
00:20:00,967 --> 00:20:02,480
And then they're paralysed.
256
00:20:02,527 --> 00:20:07,157
So as long as they're not scared off
by the engine we can just go straight in
257
00:20:07,207 --> 00:20:11,325
and then with his noose, he'll just
stick it round the end of their nose
258
00:20:11,367 --> 00:20:15,280
and hopefully stop those jaws
from being too dangerous.
259
00:20:17,327 --> 00:20:19,636
We're only looking forjuveniles,
260
00:20:19,687 --> 00:20:22,645
but these reeds will be full
of large adults too.
261
00:21:00,567 --> 00:21:02,876
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
262
00:21:08,647 --> 00:21:11,605
Amazing little creature,
not wriggling or anything.
263
00:21:11,647 --> 00:21:13,956
He's quite placid in my hands.
264
00:21:14,007 --> 00:21:17,124
And just the most
beautiful textured skin,
265
00:21:17,167 --> 00:21:20,204
especially underneath
where it's really soft.
266
00:21:22,927 --> 00:21:25,805
Extraordinarily beautiful,
267
00:21:25,847 --> 00:21:27,997
I think.
268
00:21:52,847 --> 00:21:54,485
Ready.
269
00:21:54,527 --> 00:21:56,085
Ouch.
270
00:22:08,127 --> 00:22:10,925
- Yes?
- OK.
271
00:22:14,327 --> 00:22:16,124
Robin's work won't just save the caiman,
272
00:22:16,167 --> 00:22:19,682
it could soon help
the Ribeirinhos too.
273
00:22:19,727 --> 00:22:21,160
Wow.
274
00:22:21,207 --> 00:22:23,357
Hey, multo buon. Multo buon.
275
00:22:23,407 --> 00:22:27,002
Once there's a clear idea of
numbers, the reserve will allow
276
00:22:27,047 --> 00:22:30,756
the Ribeirinhos to hunt
and sell caiman legally,
277
00:22:30,807 --> 00:22:33,162
knowing the species
won't be threatened.
278
00:22:46,087 --> 00:22:49,716
I've been in Jarua almost a week
now, and it's nearly time for me
279
00:22:49,767 --> 00:22:51,485
to move on again.
280
00:22:54,527 --> 00:22:56,404
But before I go, I desperately
281
00:22:56,447 --> 00:23:01,282
want to see one of the Amazon's most
extraordinary animals, the pirarucu,
282
00:23:01,327 --> 00:23:04,364
one of the world's
largest fresh water fish.
283
00:23:04,407 --> 00:23:07,524
Tapioca has promised
to find one for me.
284
00:23:09,967 --> 00:23:11,878
(MIMICS CAIMAN CALL)
285
00:23:11,927 --> 00:23:13,918
I've been out fishing
with him every day
286
00:23:13,967 --> 00:23:16,435
and his knowledge is astonishing.
287
00:23:18,207 --> 00:23:19,686
He's calling for caiman.
288
00:23:21,567 --> 00:23:24,957
And, quite distressingly,
they're calling back.
289
00:23:32,767 --> 00:23:36,999
Four different locations I can hear.
290
00:23:37,047 --> 00:23:39,481
(MIMICS CAIMAN CALL)
291
00:23:43,527 --> 00:23:45,995
Tapioca used to hunt caiman illegally,
292
00:23:46,047 --> 00:23:50,359
but now works with the scientists
to monitor the fish stocks,
293
00:23:50,407 --> 00:23:53,285
and he profits from the new
fishing quotas they devise.
294
00:23:57,687 --> 00:24:01,646
We paddle silently
through the trees.
295
00:24:01,687 --> 00:24:05,600
Tapioca has heard
something in the forest.
296
00:24:05,647 --> 00:24:09,401
A pirarucu coming up for air.
297
00:24:17,447 --> 00:24:20,917
Pirarucu are perfectly
adapted for this environment.
298
00:24:20,967 --> 00:24:25,324
They've evolved to take gulps of
air from the surface, an advantage
299
00:24:25,367 --> 00:24:29,440
in these murky deoxygenated
waters, but it also helps
300
00:24:29,487 --> 00:24:31,762
the fishermen like Tapioca.
301
00:24:57,407 --> 00:24:59,204
It's a perfect shot.
302
00:25:02,527 --> 00:25:04,757
But it's not a pirarucu.
303
00:25:07,167 --> 00:25:10,876
Suddenly something caught his eye.
And off he went.
304
00:25:10,927 --> 00:25:15,443
And he threw it, must have been
six, seven yards in front of him.
305
00:25:16,967 --> 00:25:20,084
Not so long ago,
this area was so overfished
306
00:25:20,127 --> 00:25:21,924
it was hard to catch anything here.
307
00:25:41,687 --> 00:25:45,726
We search the forest for hours
and Tapioca occasionally hears
308
00:25:45,767 --> 00:25:48,406
the telltale sound of the pirarucu.
309
00:25:52,367 --> 00:25:55,279
But again, it's a different
fish that he spears.
310
00:25:55,327 --> 00:25:56,919
This time, it's a tambaqui.
311
00:25:59,367 --> 00:26:04,361
We return home without a prized
pirarucu but a good haul of fish.
312
00:26:09,047 --> 00:26:14,405
It's the weekend and we take
a well-earned rest from fishing.
313
00:26:14,447 --> 00:26:19,646
Tapioca can afford to spend a couple
of days at home with his family.
314
00:26:32,287 --> 00:26:35,836
Christianity plays a large part
in people's lives out here.
315
00:26:40,447 --> 00:26:42,119
Most villages have a church,
316
00:26:42,167 --> 00:26:45,398
but some priests
have to cover huge areas.
317
00:26:47,927 --> 00:26:50,725
(THEY SPEAK PORTUGUESE)
318
00:26:57,807 --> 00:27:00,685
Father Volnei has travelled
from Alvarães, an eight hour
319
00:27:00,727 --> 00:27:03,161
boat journey to get here.
320
00:27:07,087 --> 00:27:10,921
He knows everyone
and they're all excited to see him.
321
00:27:20,647 --> 00:27:23,286
(THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN PORTUGUESE)
322
00:27:29,367 --> 00:27:31,403
Bruce. Bruce, si, si, si.
323
00:27:31,447 --> 00:27:33,438
Oh, my God.
324
00:27:33,487 --> 00:27:34,761
Oh, you speak some English.
325
00:27:34,807 --> 00:27:36,126
You speak Portuguese.
326
00:27:36,167 --> 00:27:37,077
Pico.
327
00:27:37,127 --> 00:27:39,595
I speak a little bit of English.
328
00:27:39,647 --> 00:27:40,796
Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
329
00:27:40,847 --> 00:27:43,315
No, I don't speak very well.
It's difficult for me.
330
00:27:43,367 --> 00:27:44,925
My vocabulary is...
331
00:27:44,967 --> 00:27:47,037
I saw your boat arrive
and you on the horn, eh-eh!
332
00:27:47,087 --> 00:27:48,918
I like my boat.
333
00:27:48,967 --> 00:27:52,198
And I see that, I see you've been
saying hello to everyone
334
00:27:52,247 --> 00:27:54,522
in the community, you know
all their names. It's really nice.
335
00:27:54,567 --> 00:27:57,923
Here, in this community,
I like it, I very like it. You know.
336
00:27:57,967 --> 00:28:02,085
- It's one of your favourites. Fantastic.
- I like fishing.
337
00:28:02,127 --> 00:28:05,676
Sure, sure. Me too. I've been
trying with my friend Tapioca but...
338
00:28:05,727 --> 00:28:07,638
I like to eat crocodile.
339
00:28:07,687 --> 00:28:08,915
(THEY LAUGH)
340
00:28:08,967 --> 00:28:11,435
(SINGING)
341
00:28:13,647 --> 00:28:15,717
Most of the village
heads to the church.
342
00:28:20,567 --> 00:28:24,242
Today, the father will be
baptising two of the children.
343
00:28:27,447 --> 00:28:30,325
(BABY CRIES)
344
00:28:32,967 --> 00:28:34,923
This village is a mixture of
Protestant and Catholic,
345
00:28:34,967 --> 00:28:39,961
but everyone comes to church
when Father Volnei is here.
346
00:28:47,367 --> 00:28:50,325
Dona Lourdes has really
kindly invited Tapioca
347
00:28:50,367 --> 00:28:52,323
and myself to Sunday lunch.
348
00:28:52,367 --> 00:28:55,803
Tapioca's house is only five hundred
yards down there but he goes,
349
00:28:55,847 --> 00:28:59,044
''I don't like walking,
I think we'll take the boat.''
350
00:28:59,087 --> 00:29:00,520
(LAUGHING) So here we are.
351
00:29:00,567 --> 00:29:03,161
BRUCE: Nice to see you again.
352
00:29:03,207 --> 00:29:07,246
Muito obrigado por comer.
353
00:29:09,807 --> 00:29:13,436
Si, si, si, si, si, si.
Yeah, yeah I know.
354
00:29:13,487 --> 00:29:15,796
I don't know if we're early.
If we are, we can help you.
355
00:29:17,247 --> 00:29:18,521
We'd love to.
356
00:29:26,527 --> 00:29:28,916
- What are the different fish here?
- Pirarucu.
357
00:29:28,967 --> 00:29:30,366
- Pirarucu?
- Yeah.
358
00:29:30,407 --> 00:29:32,159
My Lord! And this one?
359
00:29:32,207 --> 00:29:34,596
Sharon.
360
00:29:34,647 --> 00:29:38,560
This is pirarucu.
The famous, elusive fish.
361
00:29:45,607 --> 00:29:48,883
Are you sure it's escaping me,
or is it escaping the fisherman?
362
00:29:48,927 --> 00:29:52,920
The people of Jarua took a risk
when they agreed to work
363
00:29:52,967 --> 00:29:58,166
with the reserve, but some villages
in Mamiraua weren't so convinced.
364
00:30:23,847 --> 00:30:26,964
They've been through some hard
times and they've also had to make
365
00:30:27,007 --> 00:30:31,558
some sacrifices in order to get
today what they feel is a really
366
00:30:31,607 --> 00:30:33,802
happy lifestyle that
they're really proud of.
367
00:30:33,847 --> 00:30:38,796
And that's really the word, that they
are all proud, they've all bought into it.
368
00:30:38,847 --> 00:30:41,884
It's a cooperative, really,
there isn't a single leader
369
00:30:41,927 --> 00:30:45,715
who's selling off all their fish
to some fish farm down the road
370
00:30:45,767 --> 00:30:47,485
and getting rich individually.
371
00:30:47,527 --> 00:30:51,076
It's all about everyone being together,
everyone seeing the benefit together
372
00:30:51,127 --> 00:30:54,005
and everyone wanting to tell others.
373
00:30:55,327 --> 00:31:00,196
The reserve has worked well for
Tapioca and the people of Jarua.
374
00:31:00,247 --> 00:31:03,045
But it's time for me to move on.
375
00:31:03,087 --> 00:31:07,763
Mamiraua is huge. There are more
than 11,000 people living
376
00:31:07,807 --> 00:31:12,039
in hundreds of small communities
scattered over a vast area.
377
00:31:12,087 --> 00:31:15,682
Life in the more remote parts
of the reserve is very different.
378
00:31:19,687 --> 00:31:22,724
I'm on my way to the village
of San Francisco do Boia,
379
00:31:22,767 --> 00:31:24,439
a day's boat ride away.
380
00:31:33,447 --> 00:31:36,883
This tiny Ribeirinhos village is
perched between the forest and the river
381
00:31:36,927 --> 00:31:42,399
and has yet to be accepted into
the sustainable fishing programme.
382
00:31:42,447 --> 00:31:47,885
The most noticeable difference between
here and the village I was at previously,
383
00:31:47,927 --> 00:31:50,805
is that most of these houses
seem to be floating.
384
00:31:50,847 --> 00:31:54,203
Really feels different and
looks different straight away.
385
00:31:54,247 --> 00:31:58,206
I'm going to stay in one of
these floating houses with Branco,
386
00:31:58,247 --> 00:32:02,445
his wife Lenilda
and their three children.
387
00:32:02,487 --> 00:32:04,000
Obrigado, obrigado. Hello.
388
00:32:04,047 --> 00:32:05,878
Bruce. Branco.
389
00:32:05,927 --> 00:32:07,280
Hola, Branco.
390
00:32:08,247 --> 00:32:11,080
Oh, my God. Obrigado. Obrigado.
391
00:32:11,127 --> 00:32:13,641
(LAUGHING)
392
00:32:13,687 --> 00:32:16,281
I'm right at home already.
393
00:32:19,727 --> 00:32:21,957
What's your name?
394
00:32:22,007 --> 00:32:25,761
- WOMAN: Alessandro.
- Bruce. Nice to meet you.
395
00:32:25,807 --> 00:32:28,367
Bruce, hello, hi.
396
00:32:28,407 --> 00:32:32,286
Carla, Alessandro, y?
397
00:32:32,327 --> 00:32:34,238
Benioto.
398
00:32:34,287 --> 00:32:37,120
Hi, guys.
399
00:32:37,167 --> 00:32:40,842
OK lovely, lovely.
Ah, you've got a cat.
400
00:32:44,007 --> 00:32:45,838
BRUCE: Wow.
401
00:32:51,487 --> 00:32:53,842
I've arrived at the
busiest time of year.
402
00:32:53,887 --> 00:32:55,605
The river is rising daily
403
00:32:55,647 --> 00:32:59,640
and everyone's rushing to harvest their
crops before the fields are flooded.
404
00:33:02,847 --> 00:33:05,156
Manioc is the staple foodstuff round here,
405
00:33:05,207 --> 00:33:08,961
a starchy root vegetable
that's rich in carbohydrate.
406
00:33:09,007 --> 00:33:10,918
It's crucial to get the timing
407
00:33:10,967 --> 00:33:14,755
of the harvest right
or you risk losing the whole crop.
408
00:33:21,567 --> 00:33:24,639
That really is a good reason
to pull up all of your manioc.
409
00:33:24,687 --> 00:33:26,917
This place will be completely
flooded in a week.
410
00:33:26,967 --> 00:33:31,483
Everything gone, so although
they have all this great soil
411
00:33:31,527 --> 00:33:34,837
and sort of a lovely alluvial plain
that they can plant this stuff,
412
00:33:34,887 --> 00:33:38,038
if they don't get it out now,
it's lost for the season.
413
00:33:46,727 --> 00:33:50,163
In San Francisco, they don't
grow enough manioc to sell.
414
00:33:50,207 --> 00:33:52,846
Their harvest will be
just enough for Branco
415
00:33:52,887 --> 00:33:54,957
and his family for the coming year.
416
00:33:56,927 --> 00:34:00,397
For some reason,
I can only ever pull it
417
00:34:00,447 --> 00:34:02,677
when he gives me that last little tug.
418
00:34:05,567 --> 00:34:08,957
The top of the plant is cut off,
and the tubers we're pulling out
419
00:34:09,007 --> 00:34:13,956
will eventually be taken back
to the village and processed.
420
00:34:14,007 --> 00:34:16,077
It's back-breaking work.
421
00:34:18,807 --> 00:34:22,800
Branco's made the decision
and I can't say I'm against it,
422
00:34:22,847 --> 00:34:26,806
that it's suddenly become
a little bit too hot.
423
00:34:26,847 --> 00:34:28,565
OK, perfecto.
424
00:34:28,607 --> 00:34:33,761
So we're just gonna cover up
the manioc we've already pulled up
425
00:34:33,807 --> 00:34:35,843
to stop it drying out,
426
00:34:35,887 --> 00:34:38,640
and come back this evening.
427
00:34:38,687 --> 00:34:40,200
(SIGHS) Hard work, man.
428
00:34:50,047 --> 00:34:53,119
Branco roasts the manioc
for many hours.
429
00:34:58,647 --> 00:35:01,445
Lenilda's prepared the family meal,
430
00:35:01,487 --> 00:35:04,843
but everyone seems a bit quiet,
a bit distracted.
431
00:35:08,607 --> 00:35:12,122
It was funny, we were all sitting
down a minute ago and I was like,
432
00:35:12,167 --> 00:35:14,317
you know, ''What are you gonna
do later? What's your plan?''
433
00:35:14,367 --> 00:35:16,517
And they're all looking a bit
sheepish and I could tell that
434
00:35:16,567 --> 00:35:19,161
something wasn't quite right.
I said, ''Well, what's up, what's up?''
435
00:35:19,207 --> 00:35:22,324
And they're like,
''Well, to be honest,
436
00:35:22,367 --> 00:35:24,085
''Brazil's playing football
437
00:35:24,127 --> 00:35:26,197
''and that's what we really want to do.
We want to get the TV on.''
438
00:35:26,247 --> 00:35:28,636
So I was like ''Well, come on then,
let's do it.'' So before I knew it,
439
00:35:28,687 --> 00:35:33,044
they all ran around, genny's
been started, TV's on next door.
440
00:35:33,087 --> 00:35:35,885
No beer, unfortunately,
but I'm off to watch the match.
441
00:35:43,047 --> 00:35:45,766
If there's one thing that
unites Brazilians, young,
442
00:35:45,807 --> 00:35:50,323
old, male or female, it's football.
443
00:35:54,887 --> 00:35:58,436
Brazil won, one nil. And when
the match is finished, Branco tells me
444
00:35:58,487 --> 00:36:00,443
we're heading out on the water.
445
00:36:05,767 --> 00:36:10,318
Tonight, we're hunting caiman,
but this time, it's not for science,
446
00:36:10,367 --> 00:36:12,278
it's for cash.
447
00:36:28,207 --> 00:36:32,644
In actual fact, caiman
hunting here is illegal.
448
00:36:32,687 --> 00:36:37,124
But they're not gonna sell the
meat or the skin of the caiman,
449
00:36:37,167 --> 00:36:41,479
they're gonna use it as bait
to catch other fish.
450
00:36:43,047 --> 00:36:46,926
It's the only source of income this
community has at this time of year.
451
00:36:46,967 --> 00:36:52,803
I've been hunting many times but
it's normally to put food on the table.
452
00:36:52,847 --> 00:36:57,762
I don't want to judge Branco
but I've got mixed feelings
453
00:36:57,807 --> 00:36:59,286
about this trip.
454
00:37:10,847 --> 00:37:15,762
He scans the reeds for the telltale glint
of eyes in exactly the same way Robin did,
455
00:37:15,807 --> 00:37:20,005
but this time, we're looking for
fully grown adults.
456
00:37:20,047 --> 00:37:21,639
So still at the moment.
457
00:37:21,687 --> 00:37:24,997
I can just imagine when we finally
458
00:37:25,047 --> 00:37:27,515
steal our way in
459
00:37:27,567 --> 00:37:29,364
and set the harpoon off,
460
00:37:29,407 --> 00:37:32,683
it's going to be a very different story
461
00:37:32,727 --> 00:37:34,797
when the whole scene
erupts around us.
462
00:37:40,607 --> 00:37:43,075
Not quite sure if I'm
looking forward to it or not.
463
00:37:48,687 --> 00:37:53,317
Branco does this two
or three times a week.
464
00:38:08,127 --> 00:38:12,086
It doesn't take long before we
spot one high up on the bank.
465
00:38:19,007 --> 00:38:21,202
(SPLASHING)
466
00:38:21,247 --> 00:38:27,117
I couldn't make it out as clearly as I'd
liked because we went straight for it.
467
00:38:27,167 --> 00:38:30,364
And it was on the bank,
can you believe it?
468
00:38:30,407 --> 00:38:35,435
And he just stood up and threw
it like a spear, the harpoon,
469
00:38:35,487 --> 00:38:37,762
and here we have it.
470
00:38:40,807 --> 00:38:43,116
My God!
471
00:38:56,407 --> 00:38:58,523
Amazing looking creature.
472
00:39:06,887 --> 00:39:12,484
Just the most extraordinary
hunting, killing machine,
473
00:39:12,527 --> 00:39:15,963
hardly changed since
dinosaurs ruled the earth.
474
00:39:16,007 --> 00:39:21,400
Sixty million years it's been
without evolving,
475
00:39:21,447 --> 00:39:26,885
because it's just so perfectly
in tune with what it has to do.
476
00:39:38,167 --> 00:39:39,759
What a horrible way to go.
477
00:39:58,487 --> 00:40:00,364
It's still moving.
478
00:40:01,327 --> 00:40:02,646
(EXHALES)
479
00:40:02,687 --> 00:40:04,518
I get to sit in the bit
where the croc is.
480
00:40:06,087 --> 00:40:07,759
The caiman.
481
00:40:07,807 --> 00:40:09,604
That's extraordinary.
482
00:40:18,687 --> 00:40:21,759
Not really sure what
to say about that.
483
00:40:23,207 --> 00:40:27,917
I've hunted crocodiles
before, actually, not caiman
484
00:40:27,967 --> 00:40:31,960
but crocodile and very similar, but for
some reason, this just seemed a bit...
485
00:40:33,527 --> 00:40:36,087
...just slightly different.
Just a bit more...
486
00:40:36,127 --> 00:40:38,846
Quite horrific.
487
00:40:38,887 --> 00:40:42,357
Such an extraordinary beast,
488
00:40:42,407 --> 00:40:43,886
and, uh...
489
00:40:45,447 --> 00:40:47,517
Quite sad, actually.
490
00:40:47,567 --> 00:40:50,035
In other parts of the Amazon,
491
00:40:50,087 --> 00:40:54,763
caiman meat is considered a delicacy,
but the villagers here never eat it.
492
00:40:54,807 --> 00:40:59,358
And tomorrow, this will be
nothing more than bait.
493
00:40:59,407 --> 00:41:02,160
(EXHALES) That was a night and a half.
494
00:41:02,207 --> 00:41:04,277
Leave it out here.
495
00:41:06,007 --> 00:41:08,567
Scare the cat in the morning.
496
00:41:19,447 --> 00:41:22,723
The next morning, the dead
caiman is taken to the riverbank.
497
00:41:22,767 --> 00:41:26,760
Branco is not the only person
who hunts caiman round here.
498
00:41:26,807 --> 00:41:31,198
It's shocking to see so many of
these magnificent creatures lying
499
00:41:31,247 --> 00:41:32,760
dead by the river,
500
00:41:32,807 --> 00:41:37,005
but life here is tough
and the family needs cash.
501
00:41:37,047 --> 00:41:41,518
The way these huge carcasses are used
is unlike anything I've seen before.
502
00:41:41,567 --> 00:41:43,842
The aim is to use the dead caiman
503
00:41:43,887 --> 00:41:48,165
to catch a type of catfish
they call piracatinga.
504
00:41:48,207 --> 00:41:52,564
The kids just running around
while we chop up a caiman.
505
00:41:54,127 --> 00:41:56,163
We slice off the caiman's fat.
506
00:41:56,207 --> 00:41:59,643
This will be used as bait
to draw in the catfish.
507
00:42:34,807 --> 00:42:38,766
Within seconds, the water is
teeming with piracatinga.
508
00:42:38,807 --> 00:42:40,798
Then, you just grab the fish
behind the gills
509
00:42:40,847 --> 00:42:42,724
and throw them into the open pen.
510
00:42:42,767 --> 00:42:44,723
Easier said than done.
511
00:42:44,767 --> 00:42:47,725
(CHILDREN LAUGH)
512
00:42:47,767 --> 00:42:50,918
Mine's not working.
513
00:42:50,967 --> 00:42:52,559
(BRUCE LAUGHS)
514
00:42:53,647 --> 00:42:55,603
Raimundo and his brothers
are true experts -
515
00:42:55,647 --> 00:43:00,277
they catch hundreds of
kilos of piracatinga every week.
516
00:43:00,327 --> 00:43:04,957
I'm just grabbing them too far
back and they just slip forwards.
517
00:43:05,007 --> 00:43:09,080
It's a classic mistake and
I just haven't got the skill right
518
00:43:09,127 --> 00:43:11,561
to go to the front
and then grab them.
519
00:43:11,607 --> 00:43:16,283
And the couple that I have got have
been quite small and the big ones
520
00:43:16,327 --> 00:43:18,397
just have been wriggling free.
521
00:43:18,447 --> 00:43:21,962
It's a real art, as you might expect.
522
00:43:22,007 --> 00:43:23,235
Amazing how much waste.
523
00:43:23,287 --> 00:43:26,962
These huge chunks of meat are
being just tossed to the side.
524
00:43:27,007 --> 00:43:30,283
They're not needed. It's just the fat
that they like by the looks of it.
525
00:43:30,327 --> 00:43:34,718
And the irony is that I've eaten
caiman and crocodile before
526
00:43:34,767 --> 00:43:39,045
and I really quite like
the meat and I hate catfish!
527
00:43:39,087 --> 00:43:43,683
They're throwing away
all this meat to catch these.
528
00:43:43,727 --> 00:43:46,605
And none of the people
here eat these fish either.
529
00:43:46,647 --> 00:43:51,437
They sell the catch on and they're
eventually exported to Colombia.
530
00:43:59,967 --> 00:44:04,643
It's time to see
the fruits of our labour.
531
00:44:10,607 --> 00:44:13,326
Even with me getting in the way,
532
00:44:13,367 --> 00:44:17,565
Branco reckons we caught about three
hundred kilograms of piracatinga.
533
00:44:17,607 --> 00:44:21,486
Fishing like this seems
pretty poor business.
534
00:44:21,527 --> 00:44:25,759
They only get 30p
for each kilo of fish.
535
00:44:26,967 --> 00:44:31,757
At the moment, we're selling this fish
here for about one real a kilogram.
536
00:44:31,807 --> 00:44:33,445
Now, at the moment,
537
00:44:33,487 --> 00:44:39,119
the only caiman that's sold legally
goes for about 45 reais a kilogram.
538
00:44:39,167 --> 00:44:42,603
Now, if there was a management
programme here,
539
00:44:42,647 --> 00:44:45,764
these caiman could actually be
sold on constructively
540
00:44:45,807 --> 00:44:47,798
and make this community a lot more money.
541
00:44:53,807 --> 00:44:57,720
For Branco and the people of San
Francisco de Boia, becoming part of
542
00:44:57,767 --> 00:45:01,362
the Mamiraua project would
guarantee a decent income
543
00:45:01,407 --> 00:45:05,366
without endangering species.
544
00:45:05,407 --> 00:45:07,841
But until that does happen,
545
00:45:07,887 --> 00:45:13,200
communities like this will continue
hunting caiman to catch piracatinga
546
00:45:13,247 --> 00:45:16,205
in order to make
some sort of living.
547
00:45:25,407 --> 00:45:29,400
The family has run out of
wood to dry the manioc.
548
00:45:29,447 --> 00:45:33,326
Everyone's heading out
to replenish their stock.
549
00:45:40,127 --> 00:45:44,643
This area of forest has the wood
we're after, but in a few weeks time,
550
00:45:44,687 --> 00:45:50,159
it will be underwater and
out of reach for many months.
551
00:46:07,727 --> 00:46:10,958
Wood collecting in the
reserve is sustainable.
552
00:46:11,007 --> 00:46:13,646
All the wood taken
here is already dead.
553
00:46:21,167 --> 00:46:24,637
Everyone's got a job to do,
no matter how small.
554
00:46:24,687 --> 00:46:29,602
Clara's job is to clear the path
and every time we come past,
555
00:46:29,647 --> 00:46:33,799
she's cleared a bit but she's also
in the way or made more dead wood,
556
00:46:33,847 --> 00:46:35,838
so everyone's teasing her.
557
00:46:35,887 --> 00:46:37,798
It's really funny.
558
00:46:39,207 --> 00:46:41,198
(LAUGHTER)
559
00:46:44,887 --> 00:46:48,641
Life here may be hard
but it can be fun too.
560
00:46:51,087 --> 00:46:54,716
(LAUGHTER)
561
00:47:09,207 --> 00:47:11,926
How all these amazing kids have
got all their fingers and aren't
562
00:47:11,967 --> 00:47:15,403
broken arms and legs and heads
I don't know, cos there's so many
563
00:47:15,447 --> 00:47:17,961
near accidents here, but that's
what makes them tough.
564
00:47:18,007 --> 00:47:21,886
And they are aware of what's
going on around them,
565
00:47:22,527 --> 00:47:26,679
and they're strong and fit and
agile and they take the knocks.
566
00:47:26,727 --> 00:47:29,161
And I love them.
567
00:47:36,287 --> 00:47:39,040
We've got plenty of wood
to dry the family's manioc.
568
00:47:39,087 --> 00:47:43,683
On the way back, our boat starts to
run out of petrol so we're given a tow.
569
00:48:03,167 --> 00:48:05,840
This is a beautiful area of forest.
570
00:48:05,887 --> 00:48:09,243
But it's not an easy place to live.
571
00:48:09,287 --> 00:48:12,518
River people need to work hard and
look out for each other to survive here.
572
00:48:24,047 --> 00:48:27,483
To be a part of the Mamiraua
conservation scheme and to be able
573
00:48:27,527 --> 00:48:31,440
to catch and sell fish legally, the
villagers have to prove that they
574
00:48:31,487 --> 00:48:35,765
have protected an area from being
over-fished for a number of years.
575
00:48:37,727 --> 00:48:41,242
During my stay, Branco
took me to a pirarucu lake
576
00:48:41,287 --> 00:48:43,357
where they've been doing just that.
577
00:48:44,847 --> 00:48:48,635
If we catch a pirarucu, it will
feed the whole village.
578
00:48:48,687 --> 00:48:51,485
If you live here, you're
allowed to fish for anything,
579
00:48:51,527 --> 00:48:57,204
even protected species, as long
as it's to eat and not to sell.
580
00:49:04,927 --> 00:49:08,522
I'm off again on
the hunt for pirarucu.
581
00:49:18,167 --> 00:49:20,886
This lake is much more isolated.
582
00:49:20,927 --> 00:49:24,556
We've got a much
harderjob getting to it.
583
00:49:35,047 --> 00:49:37,481
Branco paddles through
the shallow lake,
584
00:49:37,527 --> 00:49:42,203
looking and listening for a pirarucu
coming to the surface to breathe.
585
00:49:50,607 --> 00:49:52,563
Then, he strikes.
586
00:50:04,367 --> 00:50:06,801
Wow, that is a big fish.
587
00:50:15,447 --> 00:50:16,926
Good shot.
588
00:50:21,247 --> 00:50:22,566
My God.
589
00:50:22,607 --> 00:50:25,917
The fish is strong enough
to pull our canoe around.
590
00:50:28,327 --> 00:50:29,919
Branco slowly hauls it in.
591
00:50:29,967 --> 00:50:32,117
Oh, my God.
592
00:50:32,167 --> 00:50:33,805
Why didn't it swim away?
593
00:50:36,287 --> 00:50:38,357
(BRUCE LAUGHS)
594
00:50:38,407 --> 00:50:40,238
This is fishing!
595
00:50:44,567 --> 00:50:46,956
(SPEAKS PORTUGUESE)
596
00:50:47,007 --> 00:50:49,680
Oh, you're gonna kill it with this?
597
00:50:50,687 --> 00:50:51,836
OK.
598
00:50:53,087 --> 00:50:54,156
BRUCE: Cansado.
599
00:51:05,727 --> 00:51:06,876
BRUCE: OK.
600
00:51:11,167 --> 00:51:15,399
Yeah, got it. Oh, you found some...
Oh, you just hold it in the eye.
601
00:51:15,447 --> 00:51:17,722
(SPEAKS PORTUGUESE)
602
00:51:17,767 --> 00:51:20,645
(KNOCKING)
603
00:51:20,687 --> 00:51:23,804
(FISH GURGLES DEEPLY)
604
00:51:23,847 --> 00:51:27,726
That is a noise! I've never had
a fishing experience like this.
605
00:51:27,767 --> 00:51:29,758
I tell you that much.
606
00:51:29,807 --> 00:51:31,684
Obrigado.
607
00:51:33,967 --> 00:51:37,880
This weighs a ton, even
supported in the water,
608
00:51:37,927 --> 00:51:41,158
but it's interesting
because at this time of year,
609
00:51:41,207 --> 00:51:43,926
this community would never
come out and fish for these.
610
00:51:43,967 --> 00:51:46,800
Firstly, because it's really hard
with the water being so high,
611
00:51:46,847 --> 00:51:49,520
but secondly, they're
trying to conserve it,
612
00:51:49,567 --> 00:51:53,401
but because also this is the
hardest time of year for them,
613
00:51:53,447 --> 00:51:56,007
because they have to
get all their manioc out
614
00:51:56,047 --> 00:51:59,119
and they have to prepare it so it
doesn't go off for the whole year.
615
00:51:59,167 --> 00:52:02,876
Everybody is so busy doing that,
that people aren't fishing as much
616
00:52:02,927 --> 00:52:05,316
as they normally would
for the small stuff.
617
00:52:05,367 --> 00:52:09,406
So they come out to get a monster
which will feed the entire community.
618
00:52:09,447 --> 00:52:11,403
So, pull it on?
619
00:52:15,327 --> 00:52:17,887
(BRUCE SPLUTTERS AND LAUGHS)
620
00:52:17,927 --> 00:52:21,124
My God, you think, this,
621
00:52:21,167 --> 00:52:26,161
Branco reckons,
is a 20 kilogram specimen.
622
00:52:26,207 --> 00:52:28,596
They can grow up to
200 kilograms.
623
00:52:28,647 --> 00:52:33,004
Ten times this size, ten times!
624
00:52:33,047 --> 00:52:37,245
Branco, if you get a big, big, big one,
how do you get it into the boat?
625
00:52:52,327 --> 00:52:54,204
Muito obrigado.
626
00:52:56,287 --> 00:53:00,439
Last year, they counted
500 pirarucu in this lake,
627
00:53:00,487 --> 00:53:02,318
and they have another similar lake nearby.
628
00:53:02,367 --> 00:53:06,918
What they desperately need is permission
to sell the meat commercially.
629
00:53:06,967 --> 00:53:11,916
That would provide a stable
income for the village.
630
00:53:11,967 --> 00:53:15,960
Until that happens, they still
struggle to make a living.
631
00:53:16,007 --> 00:53:19,158
The pirarucu will be cut up and
shared amongst the villagers.
632
00:53:21,767 --> 00:53:25,396
It's just like skinning and
gutting a huge mammal,
633
00:53:25,447 --> 00:53:28,996
it's not just a question of brushing
off the scales, they literally are
634
00:53:29,047 --> 00:53:30,878
taking the whole of the skin off.
635
00:53:30,927 --> 00:53:34,203
And here we go for
the main incision.
636
00:53:37,367 --> 00:53:39,483
OK, we're gonna weigh it.
637
00:53:46,407 --> 00:53:49,763
19. He said it was a 20kg fish,
638
00:53:49,807 --> 00:53:52,275
and, uh...
639
00:53:52,327 --> 00:53:56,559
the bit that counts has come in
at 19. That's not bad, is it?
640
00:54:00,807 --> 00:54:05,198
The villagers now recognise that
the new controls on fishing set by
641
00:54:05,247 --> 00:54:10,765
the reserve will be good in the long
term and will preserve this area
642
00:54:10,807 --> 00:54:12,035
for their children.
643
00:54:15,247 --> 00:54:18,922
Sadly, it's time for me
to say goodbye.
644
00:54:18,967 --> 00:54:22,039
I can honestly say this is one
of the happiest times I've had
645
00:54:22,087 --> 00:54:26,365
in the community in
my whole journey so far.
646
00:54:26,407 --> 00:54:28,682
It's such an amazing
group of people.
647
00:54:28,727 --> 00:54:30,877
Really sad
648
00:54:30,927 --> 00:54:35,000
to bid them farewell,
but the time has come.
649
00:54:35,047 --> 00:54:36,526
Branco.
650
00:54:38,567 --> 00:54:41,877
Senor, amigo. Muito, muito obrigado.
651
00:54:43,447 --> 00:54:45,802
- Obrigado.
- Adios.
652
00:54:45,847 --> 00:54:48,680
(BRANCO SPEAKS PORTUGUESE)
653
00:54:48,727 --> 00:54:50,718
Been amazing.
654
00:54:50,767 --> 00:54:52,166
Yeah. Ah, goodbye, everyone.
655
00:54:52,207 --> 00:54:54,357
Good luck, my friend.
656
00:54:59,847 --> 00:55:03,362
Thanks everyone.
Stay good, yeah, thank you.
657
00:55:20,087 --> 00:55:22,681
They've got so much on their
hands at the moment and I really,
658
00:55:22,727 --> 00:55:25,480
really wish them all the best.
659
00:55:25,527 --> 00:55:29,725
The good news is that
during our time here,
660
00:55:29,767 --> 00:55:32,964
the institute have given
a really clear indication that
661
00:55:33,007 --> 00:55:36,886
if things go well, they could be part
of the management programme
662
00:55:36,927 --> 00:55:41,364
within a few months, which is
just extraordinarily good news.
663
00:55:41,407 --> 00:55:45,195
And so, I hope that goes ahead and
that will make a huge difference to
664
00:55:45,247 --> 00:55:47,363
the lives of everyone living here.
665
00:55:47,407 --> 00:55:49,841
So, I wish them well.
666
00:55:49,887 --> 00:55:52,242
Yay! Adios!
667
00:55:52,287 --> 00:55:55,484
It's good to leave
on a positive note.
668
00:55:57,647 --> 00:56:02,846
By combining the Ribeirinhos'traditional
knowledge with 2 1st century science,
669
00:56:02,887 --> 00:56:08,086
Mamiraua is improving people's
lives and protecting wildlife.
670
00:56:08,127 --> 00:56:13,918
It's a successful model that could be
applied throughout the whole Amazon basin.
671
00:56:16,687 --> 00:56:20,805
I continue my journey
down river with renewed hope.
672
00:56:23,127 --> 00:56:29,123
I'm back on the water heading towards
the region's biggest city, Manaus.
673
00:56:29,167 --> 00:56:33,922
The river is vast here and
about to get much bigger.
674
00:56:33,967 --> 00:56:38,324
This is the meeting of the waters
where the black Rio Negro
675
00:56:38,367 --> 00:56:42,440
flowing from the north meets
the cloudy Rio Solimoes,
676
00:56:42,487 --> 00:56:45,638
rich with sediments from the Andes.
677
00:56:45,687 --> 00:56:51,523
Together, they form the Amazon,
the greatest river on earth.
678
00:56:56,207 --> 00:56:58,596
It's pretty unbelievable
when you look around,
679
00:56:58,647 --> 00:57:03,163
and when I think back, all those months
ago, to when I was at Nevado Mismi
680
00:57:03,207 --> 00:57:06,961
at a tiny trickle of water that
was the source of the Amazon.
681
00:57:07,007 --> 00:57:11,125
And then I check out this,
it's just unbelievable.
682
00:57:11,167 --> 00:57:13,886
What a journey I have had.
683
00:57:13,927 --> 00:57:18,284
From here on in, it's only ever
known as the Rio Amazonas.
684
00:57:18,327 --> 00:57:21,160
I've been through all
sorts of different names,
685
00:57:21,207 --> 00:57:24,324
seen all sorts of different
terrains, but now,
686
00:57:24,367 --> 00:57:27,916
really, I can feel the mighty
strength of this river.
687
00:57:27,967 --> 00:57:31,755
And when you think that
the Rio Negro here
688
00:57:31,807 --> 00:57:36,756
probably one of the world's, I don't
know, fifth or sixth largest rivers,
689
00:57:36,807 --> 00:57:39,605
is just a tributary to the Amazon.
690
00:57:39,647 --> 00:57:43,117
Now, if that doesn't say it all,
I don't know what does.
691
00:57:52,007 --> 00:57:54,805
The next stage of my journey,
692
00:57:54,847 --> 00:57:56,838
I'm going in search of
the riches of the Amazon.
693
00:57:56,887 --> 00:57:59,242
I'll be partying with the
millionaires of Manaus
694
00:57:59,287 --> 00:58:04,964
and joining the rush for new money
in one of Brazil's illegal gold mines.
695
00:58:05,007 --> 00:58:07,601
I'm not too sure what to expect so far,
696
00:58:07,647 --> 00:58:10,605
but the phrase Wild West
comes to mind.
697
00:58:17,447 --> 00:58:20,644
And I'll meet some people who
are trying to value the Amazon
698
00:58:20,687 --> 00:58:23,121
in a revolutionary way.
699
00:58:23,167 --> 00:58:28,400
It really is without a doubt the best
view of the forest I have ever, ever had.
700
00:58:32,367 --> 00:58:36,360
If you want to know more, visit
our website, bbc.co.uk/amazon