>> hello and welcome to global 3000, your weekly update on the global issues that shape our world. today we kick off in africa as part of our new series, africa on the move. and here's what's coming up in our program. small fish, why tanzanian fishermen are struggling to survive. the state of farming, how guatemala is trying to preserve its rain forests. and rising up, how egypt's workers are beginning to demand their rights.

lake victoria is africa's largest lake, between kenya, tanzania and uganda, it supports some 30 million people who depend on its vast natural resources to survive. in the 1960's, the perch was introse deuced and at the time it was put in with native species putting them to extinction even after it became a much sought after dell cass six the perch caught here is exclusive around the world. it has been such a global success that overfishing the perch is threatening the livelihood of the locals, an issue that local media haven't been reporting on much so as part of our africa on the move series, our reporters have teamed up with local journalists to find out why two environmental wrongs still doesn't make anything right in this region. >> water has always been his

lifeblood says this fisherman. he and his family live on the biggest island in lake victoria. the family also has a few fields they farm but the island is small, so yields are palestinian mall. -- yields are minimal. . >> it's early in the morning, and he wants to show us the beach, and why he fears for his livelihood. >> it's difficult feeding my family. housing and clothes. when someone falls ill, it's hard to get them treated. there is no money because there is no fish anymore. >> he takes over the boat

from other fishermen who have just returned from an 18-hour fishing trip. they share the meager catch. he tells us it is more or less worth nothing as is so often the case these days. now perch has been one of tanzania's main exports to europe. the beach is gradually filling up with the traders anvillagers who sell the fish at the local markets. now perch can grow up to two meters long, so these are relatively tiny. >> this fish is too young. it's too small to be sold according to regulations, but we artisan fishermen don't have the means to catch the bigger ones. in order to get the bigger ones, you need nets that cost 200,000 tanzanian

shillings so we have to use small nets that catch the immature fish. it's getting more and more difficult to catch the larger nile perch. >> close meshed nets are actually banned by law, but they're still widely used, not just by this fisherman. this nile perch is a normal size which is 15 centimeters long. the fishermen take their catch to the bmu, the beach management unit and they are weed and sold on to middlemen. the local fishermen have set up organizations to control fishing practices, promote sustainable fishing and tackle illegal fishing. it's a challenging task. despite the government push for sustainable fishing, the head of this bmu complains that fishermen have not been given any financial incentives. the bmu's are shutting down

because fish stocks are dwindling and the pressures have become too great. >> even if it meant we would be threatened, if the government gave us more support and provided us with motor boats so we could go out on patrols against illegal fishing, we would be ready to work. >> the locals' first priority is to make a living. this perch goes through three middlemen on its way to the fish processing factory. in the past, it would have taken two days to fill a truck. now it can take up to three weeks. but the fishermen have ways and means of catching larger nile perch. these men are repairing nets. in fact, that's not all they're doing. they're selling negotiates together -- they're sewing

nets together to make them bigger. nets this size are actually illegal. >> we can't get much out of the lake with single net fishing methods anymore but when you stitch three or more nets together, you can cover a large area, from the top right down to the bottom of the lake. >> in wanza, nile perch is known as white gold and it is the emblem of the regional capital. nile perch export has been a fluorishing industry for nearly 20 years, providing both foreign investors and the tanzanian state with a reliable source of income. according to the regional fiduciaries fisheries officer, licenses bring in an average 2 million euros a year but for how much longer? what is the government doing to tackle the problem of

overfishing? >> there is a common understanding within the governments of uganda and tanzania that once we eliminate illegal fishing there will be plenty of fish in the lake again, and let me tell you, the measures we've already taken despite limited resources have actually led to an increase of nile perch by 100,000 tons. >> so why are the fish processing factories struggling? nile perch numbers in lake victoria have dropped dramatically in the last ten years, from 2 million to 370,000 tons. after lengthy talks, a few workers are willing to speak on camera. they say that all the factories are producing far below capacity. they come to work every day, but there's no fish to

process. >> from january until now, we haven received our salaries. how can you survive like this in this town? we will become thieves. we don't want that. >> back on the island, the consequences are obvious. more and more fishermen are giving up. he's trying to remain optimistic. today he and a few others set off on a fishing trip in the afternoon. >> only a miracle of god can make the fish plentiful again. otherwise, it will never be the same again. >> another three hours of paddling and a night at sea. these days his hard work is for nothing. so what are the alternatives to this large scale exploitation of nature, because no matter how endless nature's

resources may seem, we are depleting our planet, so how can we prevent this? they have a national park that is a national treasure trove but a new study suggests half of the forests could be gone within 25 years, just one more generation, and now they are teaming up with local farmers. instead of declaringing forest exploitation illegal, they're trying to implore them to sustain farming opportuities, working with and not just against nature. >> the saber, guatemala's national tree, towers 40 meters into the sky. the saber is just one of more than 300 species of tree in this nature preserve.

the national park still contains virgin rain forests o but parts of it are being cleared to make room for fields. even where the rain forest is under official protection about 15,000 people live in the national park. they raise livestock or plant corn and beans. attempts have been made to drive them away, but they keep coming back. now the director of the national park has adopted a new strategy to deal with the problem. >> in the communities in the park, it is difficult and we just try to conference with the people that are living in the park and to make

consciousness that they have to take away this practice. >> this is a village of 400 in close proximity to the rain forest. >> we're visiting one of the farmers cooperating with the park rangers. the ranger confers with the farmers. they have committed themselves to protecting the rain forest. they have agreed not to touch trees several feet in

size and in order to do this he receives financial compensation provided in part by the german ministry and the european union. and the state has also agreed to let him using the land, even though it lies in the nature preserves. that gives him and his family a long-term future. >> we are trying to do to bring a balance between agriculture and forestry. this way, we can have agriculture in less area and forestry activities would be expanded. >> reforestation is part of that program. where once a mahogany tree had to make way for a cornfield, now the farmers plant young mahogany and other native trees. for a few years they will grow side by side with the corn. then the trees will displace

the fields. >> i'm planting trees for the future of our children. and in 20 to 25 years, i will be able to sell the wood for income. with the trees, i'm keeping nature alive here in the mountains. reforesting trees is good for all of us and the earth's atmosphere. we can sense that it is warming up. i think with these trees we're making a new contribution to solving the climate problem. >> here at the edge of the national park near the mexican border, it's easy to see how urgent the need to reclaim the forests have become. for weeks, the area has been swollen and the river overflowing its banks. >> because of the rainy season is so intense, it

gets a lot of flooding, so this is the impact of climate change. >> some farmers have lost their fields, even in areas rarely threatened by floods in the past. >> we used to have floods occasionally but there have been more and more in the last three years. the water used to only reach the reforestation areas about every ten years. another reforestation area, but one not flooded yet. the farmers clear harmful vines and wheat from the trees. they know that restoringth rain forest is important, but so is keeping their

families alive. >> we're farmers, and fortunately we can feed our families with agriculture. unfortunately, that is very time consuming , for sure, if we're able, we'll continue to reforest. >> these people are our replicators in our communities. they are telling communities that you can work with the forests. this is very little, but we hope in the future that more people will have more consciousness about keeping the rain forests. >> many acres of rain forests are still lost every year and only a fraction is reforested but it is hoped that others will follow the example of these farmers.

what has become known as the arab spring has brought new hope for the democratic rights of millions across the region but when it comes to workers' rights, the outlook is still gloomy, according to the international labor organization, ilo, one person dies every 15 seconds as a result of a job-related accident or illness. within the same amount of time, around 160 people surfer injuries while at work. a few weeks from now, egyptians are scheduled to go to the polls for the first time in living memory, elections have a real chance at being free and fair, far from cairo's tahir square, the revoluntionary spirit grips more layers of egyptian society. now workers are standing up in a bid to fight for their rights. >> this is a cornfield, but these men aren't farmers. they have to repair a power

line which should be turned off. the work is dangerous and accidents occur regularly. >> if something happens, you're crippled or dead. look how tall the line is. imagine someone falling off, but in addition to better safety, we also need insurance. my colleagues are risking their lives every day. >> they needed a union to defend their rights so wayla started one. his electricians union is one of the first independent unions in post-mubarak egypt. his employers aren't too happy with the development, but they're powerless to stop it. the ban on forming unions is over, but the old guard are eager to playdown workers' concerns. >> everyone observes the safety regulations, then everything will be fine. the power is turned off, so that's safe enough.

>> but safety isn't the only issue. there are also calls for set working hours and fairer wages. people are determined to make that change. he's already collected 45,000 signatures, 45,000 potential union members. he chairs meetings on a regular basis, after work or on the weekends. most, like today, are held in the city, about 100 kilometres north of cairo. >> they try every day not to bake their necks or get shocked. >> in the mubarak, joining a union would have been as threatening as the work itself. >> the supporters of the old union say these demands are not important but i want to feed my family and have insurance. >> the military rulers and employers say workers first have to help rebuild the country before their demands are met.

for them, the revolution is over, but the protests continue. dissatisfied workers helped trigger the popular uprising. and it was here that it began, back in 2008, long before the tahrir square revolution, thousands of workers took to the streets demonstrating against price increases, consistent wanes and poor working conditions. >> we were scares for our children, scared that they would shut down the companies and throw us out. today, we're no loner afraid. -- we're no longer afraid. police tell us if you don't fight for your rights now, you will never get them. >> and there is no time to lose. bus drivers, teachers and workers have taken to the streak streets and that wave of strikes has also hit cairo. >> things are better for us teachers, then education will improve and everybody benefits. >> the uprising earlier this

year is now being heard outside ministries and to parliament. teachers have been traditionally poorly paid in europe, with many having to take a second job to make ends meet but the transitional government claims their strength is repairingth struggling economy. we want to help ensure a stable economy but how can i when i've got no energy? how am i to teach democracy to a child when i can't even afford a pair of knew shoes new shoes. >> he also wants his country to recover economically and believes that unions can play a crucial role. dialogue is the key to stability now, he says. another long working day comes to a close, and his extra hours for union activities leave him precious little time for his family, but his mother, wife and young son are what motivate him to fight for his rights. he wants his family covered

in case something happens to him at work. >> i want my son and other children in egypt to have a better life. in a democratic country, with a fair wage so they can live in dignity. >> his son is four years old, and he is determined that he will have a brighter future than he did when growing up. >> when you say boltic germans the first thing they think of is an idyllic vacation on the beaches but there is and increasing danger to the sea and in some areas untreated sewage and waste flow directly into the water. it is one of the visible consequences and now in southern sweden a project is being developed to help cope with the problems they cause. >> this creepy looking natural spectacle occurs

every five minutes in the little harbor, a fishing village on the south coast of sweden. red algae collects, forming thick clumps that are washed ashore. >> it is red algae again. all red algae. >> they want to do something about it. he used to export boating equipment. now that he is retired here to the coast, he wants to turn the pest into a puppet maker. >> >> i want to use it for biogas, and collect it fresh. some over there run out of it, but it is a way of provining it is red algae. >> this plague isn't just bad for fishing. tourism has suffered because the red algae are washed up on sweden's beaches. they make the water murky,

not exactly an inviting prospect for swimmers. like here, for example, on a stretch of beach, even taking a walk can be a pretty unpleasant experience . >> from the middle of july until the end of october or something, and during that period, as long as it's still growing and coming in, we can collect it and then we have to stop in the wintertime until next summerment. >> it is a major terminal for the baltic sea ferries that makes it a major producer of pollution and of nourishment for the red algae. the liners are now persuaded to dispose of their garbage on land. it is a phenomenon that interests oceanographers all over the world. in a conference at the end of september, they have learned that the baltic sea

is in danger of biological collapse. sten gives lectures on preventing this and shows a film and shows a glimpse below the surface and all the way down to the bottom of the baltic sea. it has been an overwhelming journey. >> the film shows how the algae problem will be exacerbated if land wind farms are erected in the water, and also limestone and maintenance waste will accumulate around them, provide even more food for the algae to thrive on. >> what will happen to the baltic? much evidence indicates that red algae production will continue to expand into the e.u. countries. >> the next day the scientists are shown a pilot program for a long-term solution. the algae here on southern sweden's shores is already

fermenting but now that problem can be turned into a source of energy. close by are the tanks of an old sewage treatment plan. sten wants to expand the methane generator plant here next year and plans to use the old silos. the project is set to cost almost $1.5 million euros, a low price to pay, he says. >> we will start collecting it next summer. the machinery will be installed during the wintertime and be ready during may, june next year. >> then the algae infested beaches of southern sweden will help produce lots of biogas and other baltic sea countries are likely to follow that example. >> and you can find out more about this and many other

climate projects at our special website, and that's all we have time for this week. see you next time. bye-bye.