The situation in Tanzania can be summarized by the following:
The Tanzanian economy is based on fishing. In the 1950s a new species of fish, the Nile perch, was introduced into Lake Victoria. The effects of the introduction is that hundreds of species of native fish were eaten by the Nile perch. Obviously, this is an ecological problem, as the diversity of fish in this ecosystem is swallowed down to near nothing by the invasive species.
Along the same line, because the Tanzanian economy is based solely on fishing, the Tanzanians have no choice but to fish. Not many jobs are available however, and most of the fish harvested is exported to first-world countries, leaving the Tanzanians with nothing. To survive, they must scavenge for food such as remaining fish scraps from processing. There is a tremendous amount of poverty and many Tanzanians are starving and homeless.
To make matters worse, diseases such as AIDS and HIV are killing off a great number of people. Because jobs are scarce, many women end up becoming prostitutes in order to make enough money to survive. Prostitution combined with no access to birth control further heighten the spread of deadly diseases as well as increase the population.
The first conclusion I drew after watching this movie is that the first-world countries are not taking any measures to help solve the problems occurring throughout much of the world, and in fact, seem to be contributing to them. Instead of practicing fair trade methods and importing from stable, fair, and healthy places, the powers of the world are importing as cheaply as possible - and consequently, from areas that are struggling and unstable. And, instead of sending goods such as food, clothing, materials, and birth control to under-developed countries, the movie revealed that these nations are sending weapons, which only increase instability and unrest.
It seems as if the Tanzanians are also very helpless in the situation. First, they are utterly dependent upon trading fish with Europe, as they have no other resources. Therefore they have no choice but to participate in the trade, despite the hardships of the industry. Second, the diseases that the Tanzanians suffer from, particularly STDs, are almost unavoidable given the lack of birth control and that many women have no option for earning money but prostitution.
The movie itself was not very well organized and it was rather difficult to understand the specifics of the situation, since the film went from one aspect to another without transitions. It was however, very informative and interesting to see first-hand interviews and scenes from Tanzania. I recommend this movie, not for it's quality, but because it is on such an important topic. In fact, this is a documentary that I believe everyone living in a first-world country should see. The film breaks down a lot of stereotypes and preconceptions that many wealthy nations have about under-developed countries. Though it is a bit heavy, it also makes a person think twice about who and what they are supporting when they make a purchase, and further, how they are living their own lives.
Darwin's Nightmare is definitely not a feel-good movie, but I am glad to have informed myself on such an important topic.
