Institute History
Description
Scientists predict that Guyana, one of the least explored rain forests on the planet, holds the greatest density of biodiversity per square kilometer found anywhere on the planet. But for most of its post-colonial history, the native peoples of Guyana have struggled for economic independence. Poverty and illiteracy have forced many of the adults into a life of lawlessness and poaching while their children often flee the country to seek work in Brazil's dangerous mines. Hope might be prowling in Guyana's rivers in the form of the largest freshwater fish in the world, the arapaima. Follow three expert fishermen as they undertake a two-week voyage deep into the heart of Guyana's rain forest, to a small village named Rewa. Their mission: to demonstrate that the arapaima can be caught with a fly rod. The outcome of this project will help to secure the funding to expand this program to other remote villages of the Rupanuni region and further develop this program as a template to be used globally. If they succeed, it will prove that the country's fledgling sport fishing industry is viable. And that will mean a brighter future for the native peoples, the rain forest they call home, and the endangered arapaima.