Decades of overfishing by the global tuna industry have now pushed the final frontiers to the waters of Papua New Guinea. In the 1950's, the world was fishing out 400 000 tons of tuna. This number is now close to 4 million. And it comes at a high cost. A human cost, now affecting the last places on earth uncovering the full impact of globalisation.
Set in "the land of the unexpected," in the North-Eastern part of Papua New Guinea, this film follows the struggle of indigenous tribes to protect their way of life, guarded by traditions dating back thousands of years. Many have lost hope, others are fighting for survival from their own corrupt government. They see their ancestral land taken away to make way for multinational corporations, in their quest to create the new tuna capital of the world. They see the Madang lagoon, one of the most biodiverse places in the world, destroyed to implement in the first Special Economic Zone of the country (SEZ). The question remains: is this type of development in the Pacific bringing prosperity or poverty?
A documentary by Olivier Pollet
Produced by Fourth World Films.