1
00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:09,400
The Indian Ocean.


2
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,960
Home to the world's
most exotic islands.


3
00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,600
And beautiful and rare wildlife.


4
00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,440
I'm travelling through 16 countries
around the edge of this vast ocean,


5
00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,840
that stretches 6,000 miles
from Africa to Australia.


6
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,840
'Steeped in history, the Indian
Ocean is vital to world trade.


7
00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,240
'It's a journey of extremes.


8
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,600
'From stunning islands,


9
00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,840
'across pirate-infested seas,


10
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:45,600
'to remote villages...'


11
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,200
Salama!


12
00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,000
GUNFIRE


13
00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,200
'..and war-torn lands.'


14
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,560
What was that?
MORE GUNFIRE


15
00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,440
This is a journey about much more
than just what's under the waves.


16
00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,880
It's about the lives
of the millions of people


17
00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,040
who live around this,
one of our greatest oceans.


18
00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,480
'On this leg of my journey
I am exploring the tropical islands


19
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,360
'of Madagascar, Mauritius
and the Seychelles.


20
00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:34,240
'Remote and exotic, this is the
Indian Ocean of picture postcards.'


21
00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,760
If you're going to try
and imagine paradise,


22
00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:39,680
that's it.


23
00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:45,320
'But it's a region battling
the threat from Somali pirates.'


24
00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:46,400
It's the 21st century


25
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,720
and you're going after pirates
in the Indian Ocean. Yeah.


26
00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,560
'I discover the truth
about Madagascar's unique wildlife.'


27
00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,680
Such a cute scene.


28
00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,960
'And in the beautiful Seychelles,
I get a taste of paradise.'


29
00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,400
Bat? Yeah, bat.
Vampires and all of that!


30
00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,480
I'm just about to land on an island


31
00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,360
of the south-west coast
of Madagascar.


32
00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,960
And I'm beginning another leg of
my journey around the Indian Ocean.


33
00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,280
Madagascar is the biggest island
in the Indian Ocean,


34
00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,760
more than twice the size of Britain.


35
00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,640
I was heading for Andambatihy,


36
00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:44,560
one of hundreds of tiny islands
that pepper Madagascar's coast.


37
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:54,440
So this is Gildas. Gildas is going
to be guiding me around Madagascar.


38
00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,800
Say hello, Gildas. Hello!


39
00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:03,880
Let's say hello to the locals
as well. Salama! Salama!


40
00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:08,480
'The island is home to a fishing
community of just 20 families.'


41
00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,480
Who's the boss in the village?


42
00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,000
There is the boss.
This is the boss, OK. Salama.


43
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,520
And what's his name?
Foringa. Foringa.


44
00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:21,760
LAUGHTER


45
00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,160
My pronunciation always
gets a laugh. I'm Simon.


46
00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:30,240
'The coastal people of western
Madagascar are known as the Vezos.


47
00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,040
'They depend entirely on the
Indian Ocean for their survival.'


48
00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,240
I'm just looking around us
as we come into the little village.


49
00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,280
And you can see all of the tools
and stuff of fishing.


50
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,120
Obviously you've got the nets here.


51
00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,760
Then you've got a pirogue,
a sort of canoe through there.


52
00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:51,000
If you just look around here,
they're drying some of their catch.


53
00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,440
Tiny little fish.


54
00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:58,040
'But drying fish can be tricky
in the rainy season.'


55
00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,640
A storm is just starting now,


56
00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:02,080
so everybody is pitching in


57
00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,800
to try and gather up
some of the fish to keep them dry.


58
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,040
Small hands and big hands.


59
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,000
I think this is going to be
quite a feature of this journey.


60
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,680
We're going to have to endure
quite a lot of stormy weather,


61
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,440
because we are in the path
of the monsoon.


62
00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,480
This is part of life
in the Indian Ocean.


63
00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,640
And at this point,
at this time of the year,


64
00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,000
we're going to get
a lot of rain on us.


65
00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,680
At least we have -
we're taking shelter in this hut.


66
00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,120
But we have got some entertainment
from the locals here.


67
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,640
Hello, hello! Hello, hello!


68
00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,400
Hello, hello. Hello, hello.


69
00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,480
Welcome... Welcome.


70
00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:03,080
To our... To our.
Island. Island.


71
00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:07,800
We could just stay here and start
an English class, maybe. Yeah.


72
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,520
Because there's no school here.
So we'd be the first school here.


73
00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,600
Can we ask the young lad here,


74
00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,840
has he got any idea what job would
he like to do when he's grown up?


75
00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:23,400
He said fishing.


76
00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,720
It's not entirely surprising, is it?
It's not surprising.


77
00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,080
Really, that would be
the only life they know?


78
00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,720
Yeah. This is every day, every day.


79
00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,840
Big smiles. Big smiles.


80
00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,560
With no schools
and little healthcare,


81
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,680
life on these islands
is pretty basic.


82
00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:51,440
There's no roof. There's no roof.
No roof. No roof.


83
00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,840
Anyway, we've got to put one on.


84
00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:58,120
'Monsoon clouds
were lurking on the horizon,


85
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,440
'so putting a roof on the hut
where we'd be staying


86
00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:01,640
'seemed like a good idea.


87
00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,000
'We used a sail
from one of their boats.'


88
00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,280
Ah, hang on. Yay!


89
00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:09,240
There's no mucking about here.


90
00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:10,880
Bish, bash.


91
00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,360
That's not too bad, you know.


92
00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:26,880
'By the morning the sky had cleared.


93
00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:32,440
'And with better weather,


94
00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,520
'Foringa, the village chief,
took me out fishing.'


95
00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:48,240
Is it just that I've got a very
large arse? Why are these so narrow?


96
00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,640
You'd think they would make them
a nice comfortable large seat.


97
00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,440
'The Vezos are nomadic,
migrating from island to island


98
00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:58,800
'around this part of
the Indian Ocean,


99
00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:03,320
'sometimes travelling hundreds
of miles to find the best fishing.'


100
00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,120
Come on, son,
put your back into it!


101
00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:10,360
'I was heading out with men
who were born to fish.


102
00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,560
'It was going to be
a struggle to keep up.'


103
00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,480
All right,
so let's go spear fishing.


104
00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,640
'Holding their breath,
Foringa and the other fishermen


105
00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,160
'can stay under for more
than five minutes at a time,


106
00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,560
'and dive to depths below 20 metres.


107
00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,720
'I couldn't manage half of that.'


108
00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:58,600
And they've gone down again.


109
00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,400
They have got lungs...
lungs the size of barrage balloons.


110
00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,680
I can't stay down for anything
like as long as they can.


111
00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:07,040
I'll have another go.


112
00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:16,600
'As well as using simple spears,
the Vezo fishermen also use harpoons


113
00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,440
'made from wood
and strong rubber bands.


114
00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,880
'It was tough going.'


115
00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,720
They've caught two small fish.
But they're really not very big.


116
00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,360
They're not going to feed
the family, that's for sure.


117
00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,360
'Finally, Foringa landed
the catch of the day.'


118
00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,400
Exhausting. Exhausting?


119
00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:54,440
But look. But look at this. Wow!


120
00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,240
How did you do to catch this?
You're a very funny guy!


121
00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:06,240
'Even with a disappointing catch,
Foringa wanted to share it with us.


122
00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:07,640
'It soon became clear


123
00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,080
'this community has been
struggling in recent years.'


124
00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:15,920
Thank you very much.


125
00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:22,160
This looks fantastic. How long have
you been fishing in these waters?


126
00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,920
And how has the fishing
changed over that time?


127
00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,000
TRANSLATION:
I started fishing when I was 18.


128
00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,720
Then I got married and had a family,
so I had to feed them.


129
00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:44,720
Back then there were lots of fish
and they were easy to catch.


130
00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,400
But nowadays it's really hard.
You have to work hard every day.


131
00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:05,360
Before, we'd only go out for two or
three hours to catch a lot of fish.


132
00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:06,880
How many children do you have,


133
00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,360
and do you imagine that they'll
become fishermen in years to come?


134
00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:15,000
Er, I...I...


135
00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,400
I've got...


136
00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:18,880
SHE SPEAKS


137
00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,200
..seven.


138
00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,080
So you couldn't remember
how many children you've got!


139
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:26,720
Your wife had to tell you
how many children you've had.


140
00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:33,840
It's because I have too much
to think about.


141
00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,080
I couldn't remember.


142
00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:38,560
OK.


143
00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:42,960
That's completely fair, and we know
you've got a lot to think about,


144
00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,360
and you're working
very, very hard for your family.


145
00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:52,360
'Seven children is not a big family
in this part of the world.


146
00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,160
'In recent years, there's been a
population explosion among the Vezo


147
00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,560
'that has led to
too many fishermen, overfishing,


148
00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:01,520
'and a decline in fish stocks.


149
00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,600
'I said goodbye to Foringa,


150
00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,480
'and headed to
the mainland of Madagascar,


151
00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,400
'where most of the Vezo live.


152
00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:16,760
'My guide Gildas works for a British
conservation group, Blue Ventures.


153
00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:18,800
'They've set up a marine park


154
00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,280
'to try and protect the fish stocks
in the area


155
00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,720
'and the precious coral reef
they inhabit.


156
00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:28,000
'On the mainland,


157
00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,200
'the evidence of
a booming population


158
00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:31,840
'became even more obvious.'


159
00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:33,400
Salama!


160
00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:34,600
Salama!


161
00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,440
There's a lot of them!


162
00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,960
They're pushing me and Gildas
out of the way to get to the camera.


163
00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,680
We can't be having that, really!


164
00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:48,520
Two presenters are enough. Yeah!


165
00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:50,160
'Blue Ventures have realised


166
00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,000
'they can't hope
to protect the environment


167
00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,680
'without doing something
to address the population boom.'


168
00:11:56,680 --> 00:12:02,240
About 53% of the population
is under 15 years old. Really?


169
00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:03,320
Really.


170
00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:04,840
So most of them are here? Yeah.


171
00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,640
At the moment, we try to address
the population problem


172
00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,840
by implementing
the family planning project.


173
00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:17,000
So you started out, then,
as conservationists,


174
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,920
looking to protect marine areas,
but then through that,


175
00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:24,200
you've realised that that you've got
to work with the people to... Yes.


176
00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,200
..protect them, but also introduce
family planning. That's fascinating.


177
00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:29,240
Yeah, yeah.


178
00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:33,080
'It's a radical move
for a conservation charity.


179
00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,560
'Blue Ventures have helped introduce
a family planning programme


180
00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:38,720
'covering thousands of villages
in the area,


181
00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,680
'handing out condoms
and other forms of contraception.


182
00:12:42,680 --> 00:12:47,240
'Madagascar has one of the fastest
growing populations in the world,


183
00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,280
'high rates of illiteracy
among women,


184
00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,560
'and lack of access
to contraception are a key cause.


185
00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:56,200
'Conservationists are often afraid
to discuss the impact


186
00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,240
'of human population growth
on the environment.


187
00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,520
'After all, rich foreigners
telling poor villagers


188
00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,160
'to have fewer children
is controversial.


189
00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:09,120
'But the staggering growth of
the human population on our planet


190
00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,040
'is a catastrophe
for the natural world.


191
00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:15,520
'And here at least, Blue Ventures
is bravely doing something about it.


192
00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,080
'It was time for me
to head along the coast


193
00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:20,800
'and explore more of this island.'


194
00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,840
We're not sure what the road
conditions are going to be like


195
00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,480
because it's been raining,
it's the rainy season,


196
00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,120
it's going to rain again,


197
00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,720
and there's some rivers that we may
or may not be able to get across.


198
00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:33,560
The road's rubbish.


199
00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:35,720
Don't know how long
it's going to take,


200
00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:37,960
but hopefully,
we're going to get there.


201
00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:42,840
Shall we go? Yeah.


202
00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,120
ENGINE SILENT


203
00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,920
'It wasn't a promising start.'


204
00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:49,320
You've got power, though?


205
00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:50,720
Battery. OK.


206
00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,200
Push? Push.


207
00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,040
Oh, my god, this is a tank!


208
00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:58,320
ENGINE STARTS


209
00:13:58,320 --> 00:13:59,400
Oh, brilliant.


210
00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,120
Not too bad. No.
I'm sure we'll have worse.


211
00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,800
'Southern Madagascar is stunning.


212
00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:17,040
'The Indian Ocean coastline
is almost completely undeveloped.


213
00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,080
'The island separated from the rest
of Africa millions of years ago,


214
00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:28,600
'and its parallel evolution means
that many plants and trees here


215
00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:30,960
'are found nowhere else.


216
00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,200
'Travelling inland,
we hit our first major obstacle.'


217
00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:43,120
It's not looking good, is it? Yeah.
I think they took the wrong way.


218
00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,240
What the hell were they doing there?


219
00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:50,920
As you can see, there's a
four-wheel-drive stuck in the river,


220
00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,520
and there's lots of villagers
offering to help to get them out.


221
00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:58,160
For a fee. We don't want
to be in the same situation.


222
00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,800
It's all right now.


223
00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,560
Well, that looks like
what we should do, surely.


224
00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:06,760
We should go across the river
just there.


225
00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,640
Yeah, but you have to enter this land
to be able to do that,


226
00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,240
you have to pay this guy.


227
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,760
I think we might have to pay
the guy. We have to pay him.


228
00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:16,960
So how much?


229
00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,600
He say 2,000. 2,000.


230
00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,040
Is that for both cars? Yeah, yeah.


231
00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,440
So that is about 70 pence. Yeah.


232
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,320
For both cars
going through his field? Yeah.


233
00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:32,160
Well, that seems a very fair sum
for us to pay in the circumstances.


234
00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:37,840
Let's give slightly more
as a little tip for his generosity.


235
00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,080
OK. OK?


236
00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,920
Thank you very much.


237
00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:48,000
Is he happy with that? I think
he's very, very happy. Very happy?


238
00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,280
There's a sort of wry smile
playing across the lips.


239
00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,920
'There's always been flooding here
in the rainy season.


240
00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,520
'But the problem's getting worse.


241
00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,880
'Trees help to soak up floodwaters,
but there aren't many left.


242
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:06,600
'Movies and wildlife documentaries
always paint an image of Madagascar


243
00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:09,680
'as a forested paradise
teeming with wildlife.


244
00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:13,480
'The reality
is completely different.


245
00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,800
'I met up with Charlie Gardner from
the conservation organisation WWF.'


246
00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:22,400
Where are the trees?
Well, they've been cleared.


247
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,960
This is land that's been deforested,
used for cultivation,


248
00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,200
then been abandoned
because it's lost its fertility.


249
00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,040
But it would have been
a very diverse native forest,


250
00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:38,080
filled with as many as a couple
of hundred different species of tree.


251
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,560
A couple of hundred? Yes.


252
00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:46,200
Just in this area? Just in
a relatively small area, absolutely.


253
00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,720
In Britain, we have 30-odd
species of native tree.


254
00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:54,520
In Madagascar, we have
approaching 1,000. That's incredible.


255
00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:58,360
'A staggering 90%
of the forest in Madagascar


256
00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,200
'has already been chopped,
logged or burned.


257
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:06,640
'The trees have been cut for fuel
or to clear land for crops.


258
00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:11,200
'But without trees to bind land
together and store rainwater,


259
00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,120
'humans can pay a huge price.


260
00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,360
'Charlie took me to see what happens


261
00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:19,680
'when vast areas of forest
are destroyed.


262
00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,240
'The Onilahy River
is one of the biggest in Madagascar.


263
00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,960
'As we drove along, I could see
it had just burst its banks,


264
00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:28,480
'flooding farmers' fields.'


265
00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:35,200
So we're just going in search of a
farmer who's got fields in this area


266
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:39,960
that we think might be down where
the river has broken its banks.


267
00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,320
Salama! Salama.


268
00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:47,600
THEY SPEAK IN DIALECT


269
00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:54,200
It turned out this farmer had lost
all his crops to flooding.


270
00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:55,920
Is this problem getting worse?


271
00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,000
TRANSLATION:
Yes, it's getting worse and worse.


272
00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,480
Once the Onilahy floods,
it destroys everything,


273
00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:08,560
the manioc, the cassava, the rice.


274
00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:10,840
There's no food.


275
00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,480
You just have to try
and fill your stomach with air,


276
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:20,360
and close your mouth,
because there's nothing to eat.


277
00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:25,080
I can just see people
walking across the flooded area now.


278
00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:27,120
You can see how deep it is.


279
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:29,880
Look, they're up to their necks.
They're having to swim, almost.


280
00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,800
I'm just going to go back and try
and see if we can meet the villagers


281
00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,880
who have just swum across
these flooded fields.


282
00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,800
They're just coming out
of the water now.


283
00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,160
Salama, salama, salama.


284
00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,200
Can we ask the guys,
where have you come from?


285
00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:57,200
You're actually coming here,


286
00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:01,080
you're swimming here to look for
somewhere to stay, then, presumably?


287
00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,720
This is really just another
consequence of the deforestation,


288
00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:11,880
I think, isn't it?


289
00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:13,480
Yes. This is part of the problem.


290
00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,240
Flooding is very linked
to deforestation.


291
00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,240
Most of Madagascar
used to be forested.


292
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,560
So when it was forested,
and when it rained,


293
00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:26,360
the vegetation in the roots helped
the water infiltrate into the soil,


294
00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:28,760
so the forest acts
like a sponge, really,


295
00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:33,280
and then the water drains really
slowly into the rivers over time.


296
00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,520
Whereas once you clear those forest,
when the rain falls...


297
00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:37,680
As has happened?


298
00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,080
Yes, as has happened,


299
00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,960
then when the rain falls,
it comes off these slopes in sheets.


300
00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:44,720
There's nothing to retain it,


301
00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,120
and when it's coming down
in sheets like that,


302
00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:48,600
it's bringing soil with it.


303
00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:54,800
'The loss of the fertile topsoil has
devastating long-term consequences


304
00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,040
'for the environment, and for
millions of subsistence farmers.


305
00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:03,280
'Gildas and I travelled on,


306
00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,200
'across Madagascar
to a place called Berenty,


307
00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,800
'in the south-east corner
of the island.'


308
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,600
Of course, it's not just the trees
that are being destroyed.


309
00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,160
I think we need to go
and find out a little bit more


310
00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,640
about the wildlife that's being lost
when the forests are chopped.


311
00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:24,600
'There's a wildlife reserve
in this area


312
00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:29,480
'that's featured in countless nature
documentaries in recent decades.


313
00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:40,440
'The reserve was established in the
1930s by a French plantation owner.


314
00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,560
'It's become synonymous with
Madagascar's most iconic animals.'


315
00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,760
We've come to one of the most famous
wildlife reserves on the island,


316
00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:53,280
and we're looking while
we're creeping through the bushes,


317
00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,600
looking for Madagascar's lemurs.


318
00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,920
WHISTLES


319
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,800
'But spotting lemurs here
is not so easy,


320
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,200
'and it was more than an hour
before we saw anything.'


321
00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,480
(They're just on the trees
over here.


322
00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,200
(Can you just see them up there?)


323
00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,840
'Here in Berenty,
you can see sifaka lemurs,


324
00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,800
'and the most famous,
ringtail lemurs.'


325
00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,040
(Such a cute scene.)


326
00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:28,760
'Lemurs are unique to Madagascar.


327
00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,320
'Scientists believe
they're descendants of primates


328
00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,640
'that travelled across the
Indian Ocean from the mainland


329
00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,840
'millions of years ago, on logs
or rafts of matted vegetation.'


330
00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:44,320
This place is beautiful, but,
and it's a huge but,


331
00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,360
this reserve contains a large chunk


332
00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:51,840
of the only remaining forests
of its kind in Madagascar,


333
00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,480
and this place is actually tiny.


334
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,480
It's not much bigger
than some London parks,


335
00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:02,240
and this on an island that's
the fourth largest on the planet!


336
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:06,040
The lemurs
have really got nothing left.


337
00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:08,520
'After hours of searching
for lemurs in the forest,


338
00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,440
'it was time to go back
to the visitors' lodge.


339
00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,600
'We were greeted
by an amazing display.'


340
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:45,040
Are you all right? Are you lost?
No, hopefully not.


341
00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:51,640
Chances are, if you've seen lemurs
filmed in Madagascar,


342
00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:56,960
it was shot here, and it turns out,
we're reliably informed,


343
00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,800
that almost all of the shots
are generally filmed


344
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,480
in an area around these buildings,
bungalows,


345
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,960
with the cameramen straining to keep
the buildings out of shot.


346
00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:10,480
We're not going to do that,


347
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,360
because I think you should see
the reality here.


348
00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:16,920
I think if you take the buildings
out of the shot,


349
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,720
this place generally
might give the impression


350
00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:25,160
that there's a lot of wilderness
of wild paradise left in Madagascar,


351
00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,240
and that is not the case.


352
00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,000
'Completely surrounding
the nature reserve


353
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,560
'is an endless expanse
of agricultural land.'


354
00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:39,280
So, look.


355
00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,720
Ooh! This is what's outside!


356
00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:51,280
Vast, vast plantations of sisal.


357
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,720
My goodness!


358
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,280
Far as the eye can see.


359
00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:00,160
Thousands
and thousands of acres of it.


360
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:01,440
In some instances,


361
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:06,600
it's used for making environmentally
friendly packaging for Europe.


362
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,240
'The founders of Berenty
cleared huge areas of forest,


363
00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,840
'and left just a token sanctuary
that now provides habitat


364
00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,600
'for a small number of lemurs.'


365
00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,000
It's ironic, really,


366
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:24,440
because the reserve is now seen by
conservationists as a huge success,


367
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:29,880
but if anyone had said back
when this place first started up,


368
00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:35,120
I think in the 1930s, that what
the owners were going to do


369
00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:41,000
was going to cut down thousands
and thousands of acres


370
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:42,480
of pristine forest,


371
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,600
and replace it with millions
and millions of sisal plants,


372
00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:52,000
and leave one tiny little area
of forest for the lemurs,


373
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,600
I think the conservationists would
have been absolutely up in arms!


374
00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,000
Well, that's what's happened.


375
00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:07,200
'The environment here
has taken a hammering,


376
00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,560
'but Madagascar's still poor,


377
00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:13,720
'plagued by bad roads and
a chronic lack of infrastructure.


378
00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:19,080
'I headed on, travelling just 50
miles in six bone-crunching hours.'


379
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:24,240
So that was the bus to Tana,
the capital of Madagascar,


380
00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:29,440
from Fort Dauphin, a city in the
south that we're heading for now.


381
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:33,360
It's amazing, really,
to think this is the main road,


382
00:25:33,360 --> 00:25:36,960
the main thoroughfare
in this part of the country.


383
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:38,840
Bloody awful!


384
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,000
'This is one of the poorest
countries in the Indian Ocean,


385
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,560
'with high unemployment
and more than two thirds


386
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,960
'of its people
living on less than £1 a day.


387
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,520
'Madagascar does have
valuable natural resources,


388
00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,640
'but is there a way of providing
people with jobs and salary


389
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,640
'while protecting
what's left of the natural world?


390
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,000
'Just outside Fort Dauphin,


391
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:07,200
'there's a controversial project
that some think offers a solution.


392
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,320
'The road to it
was certainly an improvement.


393
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,400
'The road services a mine


394
00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,640
'which is owned by the multinational
conglomerate Rio Tinto.


395
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,840
'The mine provides jobs
for several hundred local people,


396
00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,200
'extracting hundreds of thousands
of tonnes per year


397
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,440
'of an obscure mineral
called ilmenite.'


398
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,840
This is a giant floating platform.


399
00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,360
It's like a big vacuum cleaner,
ready.


400
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:37,600
It receives a lot of the dirt,


401
00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,920
the sand, and it's sucked up
by a dredger over there,


402
00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:47,160
and it processes it to take out
the black stuff in the sand here.


403
00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:53,480
That's then turned into ilmenite,
which I was not familiar with,


404
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,600
but turns out it's the principle
whitening agent


405
00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:02,200
used in everything from white paint
to toothpaste to white plastics


406
00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:04,680
to white computer keyboards.


407
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:08,960
Basically, the stuff of life,
the stuff of everyday life.


408
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:12,320
And it comes from places like this.


409
00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,160
'The mine was bitterly
opposed by conservationists,


410
00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:21,440
'because creating it involved
clearing an area of rainforest.


411
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,920
'The company claimed the forest
would have been logged anyway,


412
00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:28,280
'with few long-term benefits
for locals.


413
00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,400
'International pressure did force
the mining giant to establish


414
00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,680
'a conservation project
including a plant nursery.


415
00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:38,040
'Rio Tinto have promised to replant
some of the forest


416
00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,320
'after they've finished mining.


417
00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,760
'So the mine could provide jobs


418
00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:44,520
'while minimising damage
to Madagascar.


419
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:49,960
'Johnny is a botanist
working for the mining company.'


420
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,560
Johnny,
where are you taking us to now?


421
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:59,160
TRANSLATION: This is where
we prepare the seeds.


422
00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:04,840
We're working in partnership
with Kew Gardens


423
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:08,200
and the Millennium Seed Bank
in England.


424
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:14,480
You can see here a sample
of the biodiversity from 600 species


425
00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:17,680
growing in the forest.


426
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:23,520
This is a treasure
for future generations


427
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,920
and for mankind.


428
00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:32,200
Madagascar is such a desperately,
desperately poor country.


429
00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,680
Maybe, just maybe this could be
part of the solution.


430
00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:41,280
Concentrated development in a small
area employing lots of people


431
00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:44,280
and respecting the environment.


432
00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:49,360
It might just work, so long as
they do actually replant the forest.


433
00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,640
'It was time for me to leave
Madagascar


434
00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:02,400
'for another island treasure
of the Indian Ocean.'


435
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:06,600
So, here we go.


436
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,760
From one of the poorest countries
in the Indian Ocean


437
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:10,920
to one of the richest.


438
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:17,440
'I headed east to Mauritius.


439
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,880
'Although Mauritius is 250 times
smaller than Madagascar,


440
00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:23,720
'it's more than 15 times richer.


441
00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:32,640
'It's also one of the world's
premier tourist destinations,


442
00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:34,800
'with fabulous beaches.


443
00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,680
'The luxury on offer here seemed
a million miles from the poverty


444
00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,280
'I encountered in Madagascar.


445
00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,600
'Local oceanographer Vassen
was going to show me around.'


446
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:04,360
Vassen? Hello, Vassen.
Simon Reeve, BBC. Hello.


447
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:07,560
Thank you very much for coming
to meet us here. Pleasure, pleasure.


448
00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,640
You're looking as though you're
about to go in the water. Yeah.


449
00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:15,520
You're going to do the same thing,
so I hope you have your bathing suit.


450
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,840
I've got some swimming trunks.
Swimming shorts, I should say. OK.


451
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,440
You should be OK. All right.


452
00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:24,560
Vassen, this is a nice boat.
Thank you.


453
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,200
'As part of his work,
as a conservationist,


454
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,480
'Vassen studies the coral reefs
around Mauritius.


455
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,120
'He took me to see a reef
on the south-west of the island.'


456
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:40,640
Now, this is more like it.
This is the Indian Ocean.


457
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,640
'Coral reefs
are among the most fragile


458
00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,800
'and precious environments on Earth.


459
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,760
'Vassen took me down to see
beautiful coral,


460
00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:11,320
'and rare and exotic fish.


461
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:18,160
'There was a red lionfish
with its poisonous spines.


462
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:19,520
'And butterfly fish,


463
00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:23,840
'which lived with the same mate
until the end of their lives.'


464
00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,480
This is one of
the most extraordinary


465
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,960
and beautiful environments
I can ever remember being in.


466
00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,640
Such a special place.


467
00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:51,040
'You'd expect to see
beautiful beaches


468
00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,600
'and coral reefs in Mauritius,


469
00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,880
'but what I didn't know was that
the capital, Port Louis,


470
00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,360
'was an industrial hub.


471
00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,880
'It's home to one of the biggest
container ports in the Indian Ocean,


472
00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:05,960
'and a multi-million pound
tuna fishing industry.


473
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,640
'There's two huge
canning factories here,


474
00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:15,640
'and Mauritius is the biggest
exporter of tinned tuna to the UK.


475
00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:19,000
'To learn more about
that side of life in Mauritius,


476
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:21,280
'we've been given permission
to film in the port.'


477
00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:25,640
And this is the head of the Mauritius
ports authority. Passport here.


478
00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,680
And you need the letter?
Yeah, the letter, please.


479
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:31,040
'The port had already granted us
access,


480
00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,320
'so getting our entry pass
should have been just a formality.'


481
00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:41,920
Oh!


482
00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,320
Well, very interesting.


483
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:50,720
So, basically,
we've being refused the chance,


484
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:55,240
we've been refused permission
to film any fishing inside the port.


485
00:32:55,240 --> 00:33:00,120
They've banned us, effectively.
Very strange situation.


486
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,520
They say that you would be allowed
to film ALL commercial activities


487
00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,360
happening in the port area,
and now, suddenly,


488
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:07,800
the situation has changed


489
00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:10,760
and you are not allowed to film
any fishing activities,


490
00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,120
so I do suspect
that some private operators


491
00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:18,200
may have made some pressure on the
authorities to reverse the decision.


492
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,680
'The international fishing fleets
had stopped us from filming,


493
00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:26,240
'but then we spotted
a huge European fishing trawler,


494
00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,320
'offloading a massive catch
of frozen tuna.


495
00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:35,440
'In recent decades,


496
00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:39,680
'commercial fishing fleets have
plundered the Pacific and Atlantic.


497
00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,000
'Many species are facing extinction.


498
00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,840
'Now, with fish stocks
wiped out elsewhere,


499
00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:48,960
'the fishing fleets
are turning their attention


500
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:50,080
to the Indian Ocean.'


501
00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,600
So this fish is being discharged,
it's being stowed in cold rooms


502
00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,920
and then it goes to the processing
factory, the canning factories,


503
00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,280
and that's the fish you are eating
in the UK in your cans.


504
00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,400
Why are they being so secretive
about this?


505
00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,400
They care about their customers
because this is their business.


506
00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:09,400
One-third of all the fish
swimming in the oceans


507
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,600
have disappeared
because of over-fishing.


508
00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,560
50% of the stocks are fished
up to their limits


509
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,240
and they're starting to collapse.


510
00:34:17,240 --> 00:34:20,320
Maybe in 10, 15 years, we won't see
any fish any more in the oceans,


511
00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,320
and that's a worry of many people.


512
00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,640
Now the consumers
start to be aware of this.


513
00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,800
So they're worried
that people will start to realise


514
00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:29,960
we're fishing our oceans to death?


515
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:32,680
Exactly.
I think it is a clear conclusion.


516
00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:34,480
We are fishing our oceans to death.


517
00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:40,480
It's a frightening thought
but not far-fetched.


518
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,080
According to a UN report,


519
00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:46,400
there could be no wild fish
left by 2050.


520
00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:54,040
It's not just the fishing fleets
that are expanding


521
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:55,760
their reach into the Indian Ocean.


522
00:34:55,760 --> 00:35:00,040
For centuries, the great powers have
competed for control of Mauritius,


523
00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,080
which has a key strategic location.


524
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:04,560
Now the new superpowers


525
00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:06,800
have their eye
on this little chunk of paradise.


526
00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:12,880
Vassen took me to a new
Chinese development called Jinfei,


527
00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,160
a free trade zone
for Chinese businesses.


528
00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:21,600
So this is all part
of the Chinese zone?


529
00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:25,560
I think it's the main road
in the middle of a Chinese zone.


530
00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:28,560
The size of it!


531
00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:30,720
This is incredible.


532
00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,560
One of the first businesses
to arrive in Jinfei


533
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:40,000
is a Chinese restaurant.


534
00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,400
While the site
is under construction,


535
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:45,480
meals are served in tents
called yurts.


536
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,840
The owner has huge plans
for this site.


537
00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:54,520
So you're going to build the hotel,
the recreation centre...


538
00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,120
Casino, karaoke, massage.


539
00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:09,040
Wow. This is just the beginning
of your vast project here.


540
00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,640
You are a very rich lady?


541
00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:13,080
SHE SPEAKS IN HER OWN LANGUAGE


542
00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:14,440
She says, "Little, little."


543
00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:16,560
You're going to need
more than a little


544
00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:18,280
to build all this, aren't you?


545
00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,000
Thank you, Mrs Rich Lady.
You're welcome.


546
00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:27,200
So this is just one huge plot
of land? Yeah.


547
00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,560
It's a small China in Mauritius


548
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:36,120
where they're going to have around
40,000 people, 40,000 Chinese,


549
00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:40,160
and they're going to live here,
sleep here, work here...


550
00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:41,840
and maybe give birth here.


551
00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:43,480
BOTH LAUGH


552
00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,760
So it's going to be like
a Chinese colony?


553
00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:48,080
Yeah, like a Chinese colony
in Mauritius.


554
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,920
'Jinfei is
a huge commercial enterprise,


555
00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:57,280
'but it represents just
one small part of Chinese plans


556
00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:01,160
'for expansion in many countries
around the Indian Ocean.'


557
00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:10,640
We're in a sort of Mongolian yurt,
part of a Chinese restaurant,


558
00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:13,120
in Mauritius
in the middle of the Indian Ocean.


559
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:16,000
Yeah, you're not in Mauritius
any more.


560
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:21,240
This is quite an unusual place. Mmm.


561
00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:23,040
Are you going to try one of these?


562
00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:25,880
I'm sort of tempted.
But I do like the hats. Yeah.


563
00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:27,520
Don't look, don't look. Aw!


564
00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,000
I'm not trying to suggest in any way


565
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,920
that you're not
an entirely serious guy.


566
00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:35,240
HE LAUGHS


567
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:39,880
OK. You don't look very serious,
Simon.


568
00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,800
No, well, I'm not a very
serious person, quite frankly.


569
00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:48,320
But the Chinese
are not the only ones


570
00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,400
rying to stretch
their influence in the region.


571
00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,560
Indians have travelled across
the Indian Ocean


572
00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,640
for hundreds, if not thousands,
of years.


573
00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:01,320
Two-thirds of the population
of Mauritius are of Indian descent,


574
00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:03,200
and Hinduism
is the biggest faith here.


575
00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:10,240
The Indian government and military
are piqued at the Chinese incursion


576
00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:13,800
into what they see
as their backyard.


577
00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,800
An Indian construction company is
now building a rival commercial city


578
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:22,160
at the cost of 1 billion,
which will compete with the Chinese.


579
00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:26,680
It's not just the influence
of India and China


580
00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:28,680
that's felt here in Mauritius.


581
00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:32,560
America is still
the dominant military superpower


582
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:34,040
in the Indian Ocean


583
00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:37,960
and America has an island airbase
to the north east of here


584
00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:42,440
called Diego Garcia that's like
an unsinkable aircraft carrier.


585
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:48,920
Diego Garcia is the most important
American military installation


586
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,200
outside the US.


587
00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:54,760
It sits on the Chagos Islands which
are a British overseas territory


588
00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:58,640
leased by the British government
to the Americans in the 1960s.


589
00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:02,520
'When Britain
gave away their island,


590
00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:05,480
'the local Chagossians
were forcibly evicted.


591
00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:07,880
'Families were uprooted
from their homes,


592
00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:10,800
'their pet dogs
were rounded up and killed.


593
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,520
'Many of the Chagossian people
ended up here,


594
00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,440
'living in the slums of Mauritius.


595
00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:23,240
'Rita was living in the Chagos
when Britain forced out the locals.


596
00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:25,560
'She is now 85.'


597
00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:27,560
Bonzour. Bonzour.


598
00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:29,760
Bonzour. Bonzour.


599
00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:31,920
How did you come to leave
the island?


600
00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,760
What brought you here to Mauritius?


601
00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:38,560
TRANSLATION:
When the island was sold in 1965,


602
00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:40,960
I was still living there.


603
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:43,680
We didn't know the islands had been
sold, we were like children.


604
00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:45,320
We didn't know anything.


605
00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:49,640
At that time,
I had a 17-month-old daughter


606
00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:51,160
who had just started to walk.


607
00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:54,120
I was told I had to go to Mauritius
to get her treated.


608
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,600
But after we got here,
the child died.


609
00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:01,680
I told the authorities
I had to go back to my country


610
00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:06,120
because I couldn't bear
the miserable life here.


611
00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:09,080
I was told I couldn't
go back to my native country


612
00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:14,400
because the island had been sold.


613
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:19,880
'Rita's friends and family
have been preparing


614
00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:22,440
'a traditional Chagossians meal
for us.'


615
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:28,320
I'm just pulling some glasses off
a metal tray here


616
00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:31,720
that Rita's got of London.


617
00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:35,320
And she's got pictures up around
the house of the Royal Family.


618
00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:37,840
One of the things
that particularly upsets me


619
00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:41,440
about this situation
is that the Chagossian people


620
00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:43,320
generally still feel
very fond of Britain,


621
00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:45,200
and yet Britain has treated her


622
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:49,360
and the Chagossian people
appallingly.


623
00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:53,120
'The Chagossians
are still campaigning


624
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,760
'for the right to return
to their homeland.'


625
00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:58,800
Rita, do you really want
to go back to Diego Garcia


626
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:00,680
and the Chagos, even now?


627
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:02,560
TRANSLATION:
They have got to decide.


628
00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:04,320
Either they give us
back our island


629
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,480
or they give us compensation
for the rest of our lives.


630
00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:09,720
Those are the two things
we're asking for.


631
00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,640
The British government say
they regret the forced resettlement


632
00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:19,120
of the Chagossians, but they did
offer some compensation at the time.


633
00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:25,840
We wish you the very best of luck
in your campaign.


634
00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,480
We can only hope you'll be able
to return to your island home.


635
00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,560
Aw.


636
00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:35,400
Thank you, Rita.
Can I have a kiss goodbye?


637
00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:38,960
'But the American military


638
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:41,560
'seem unlikely to give up
their crucial base,


639
00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:44,240
'especially now that China
and other rival powers


640
00:41:44,240 --> 00:41:47,040
'are increasing their presence
in the Indian Ocean.'


641
00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:51,880
Well, that's the end
of the Mauritius bit of our journey.


642
00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:55,880
It wasn't
what I was expecting at all.


643
00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:57,600
But now we leave Mauritius


644
00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:01,200
and we head to the final country
on this bit of the trip,


645
00:42:01,200 --> 00:42:02,920
which is the Seychelles.


646
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:12,000
To the north of Mauritius,


647
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:15,360
the Seychelles is an archipelago
of 115 islands


648
00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:18,640
scattered over a vast area
of the Indian Ocean.


649
00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:21,360
I was flying to the capital,
Victoria.


650
00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:27,480
'At the airport,
I was met by my guide,


651
00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:30,760
'a local newspaper journalist
called Rita.'


652
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,760
Rita? Yeah. Hello, Rita. Hiya.
Nice to meet you. Simon. Hello.


653
00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:42,280
'Even more the Mauritius,


654
00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:44,880
'the Seychelles has a reputation
as paradise.


655
00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:50,520
'First off was a quick trip
to see what all the fuss is about.'


656
00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:54,280
So this is what the Seychelles
can offer you as a beach.


657
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:58,160
As a beach, just a beach.
Just a beach. Come on, straight in.


658
00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:04,280
BOTH LAUGH


659
00:43:09,240 --> 00:43:12,160
Ah! Rita, it's absolutely gorgeous,
what's wrong with you?


660
00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:16,520
It's cold, it's cold, it's cold!
It's not cold. It is too.


661
00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:17,920
I tell you what...


662
00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:20,600
it is absolutely beautiful.


663
00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:25,120
This is, I think, the clearest sea,


664
00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:28,760
or the clearest seawater,
I have ever been in in my life.


665
00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:43,640
The beaches may be five-star
but what about the local grub?


666
00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:47,320
It's lunchtime on Sunday,
beautiful beach,


667
00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:52,200
Rita has brought us to
a lovely beachside cafe for lunch.


668
00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:56,360
But what is under the plate, Rita?


669
00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:59,480
Shall we have a look?
Yeah, why don't we?


670
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:06,160
What is it?
Oh, doesn't look too bad.


671
00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:09,560
Fruit bat curry. Bat?


672
00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:14,640
Yeah, bat. Related to the vampires
and all of that.


673
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:18,400
It's only got little...
what is that? A leg or a wing?


674
00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:22,480
I prefer not to know. What do you
mean you'd prefer not to know?


675
00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:27,560
How often do you eat this?
Do you want to know something funny?


676
00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,080
This is my first time having bat.


677
00:44:31,240 --> 00:44:36,080
Your words just before were,
"This is a delicacy here." I know.


678
00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:38,680
You've never eaten fruit bat? No.


679
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:52,720
It's quite bland, really.
I'm getting curry. Yeah.


680
00:44:52,720 --> 00:44:54,360
And that's about it.


681
00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:56,880
It's not as bad
as we thought it'd be, is it?


682
00:44:56,880 --> 00:44:58,960
I didn't think it would be too bad


683
00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:02,040
but I think you've been putting off
this moment for your entire life.


684
00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:05,160
I feel quite privileged
to be here with you


685
00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:07,800
as you finally have some fruit bat.


686
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:10,360
I'm working my way
through the bat curry here.


687
00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:13,400
I tell you, chicken any day.


688
00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:16,200
I mean, this is enough
to turn somebody into a veggie.


689
00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:23,320
It's hard to get a real sense
of what's so extraordinary


690
00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:25,640
about the Seychelles from sea level.


691
00:45:34,720 --> 00:45:37,000
There are literally hundreds
of secluded beaches,


692
00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:38,600
and with just 85,000 inhabitants,


693
00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:42,920
the Seychelles has the smallest
population of any country in Africa.


694
00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:48,960
This is amazing.
Just look at this place!


695
00:45:51,680 --> 00:45:57,000
If you're going to try and imagine
paradise, there you go. That's it.


696
00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:02,680
Just look at the colour
of the water down here.


697
00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:05,560
That is proper tropical seas.


698
00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:10,040
Environmental legislation
is very strict here


699
00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:14,080
and the Seychelles is a world leader
in eco-friendly tourism.


700
00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:17,040
Nearly half of its total landmass
is under conservation.


701
00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:20,920
I tell you what's
particularly nice to see


702
00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:22,320
after we were in Madagascar


703
00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:24,640
where they've chopped down
all their trees,


704
00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:28,480
it's so nice
to see just forested land.


705
00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:31,840
The Seychelles
isn't some rocky desert island.


706
00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:34,640
Look at this,
look how verdant this is.


707
00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:38,040
You might not be surprised to learn


708
00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:41,120
that tourism is now the single
biggest industry in the Seychelles,


709
00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:43,400
employing nearly
a third of its people.


710
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:49,160
What the Seychelles
is perhaps best known for


711
00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:51,120
is its luxury high-end resorts.


712
00:46:52,240 --> 00:46:54,040
Just look at this place up here.


713
00:46:54,040 --> 00:46:56,200
This is the sort of thing
you see in a Bond film.


714
00:46:56,200 --> 00:46:59,000
This is how the other half live, eh?


715
00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:04,480
'Many of the islands in
the Seychelles are privately owned


716
00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:06,840
'but they are not
all inhabited by


717
00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:09,600
'billionaire business types
or pop stars.'


718
00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:13,320
Look at this!


719
00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:18,240
This is like something from a dream.


720
00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:21,640
Nobody lives here.
This isn't real, surely?


721
00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:23,440
Come on, Rita.
DOG BARKS


722
00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:25,600
I'm Simon. Simon Reeves.


723
00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:29,840
You're Simon. And you are?
This is Craig. Craig.


724
00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:33,600
And who is the smashing lady?
And this young lady is Rita. Rita.


725
00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:35,880
Nobody neater. Aw!
SIMON LAUGHS


726
00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:40,440
'Yorkshireman Brendon Grimshaw
bought Moyenne Island in 1962


727
00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:43,640
'for the princely sum of £8,000.


728
00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:47,200
'He lives alone on the island,
though it's open to visitors.'


729
00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:50,880
So this is your home?
Yeah, this is where I live.


730
00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:53,120
Whoa! What do you see?


731
00:47:53,120 --> 00:47:55,240
That I was not expecting. What?


732
00:47:55,240 --> 00:47:59,600
There's a giant tortoise
on the steps to your house.


733
00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:02,360
They come in sometimes.
They're welcome. They?


734
00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:05,640
Would you like to join one
for lunch? It can be arranged. They?


735
00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:09,040
How many have you got? 120.


736
00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:11,560
120? And they're totally free.


737
00:48:11,560 --> 00:48:13,320
They go where they like.


738
00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:17,920
'Giant tortoises are indigenous
to the Seychelles


739
00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:20,200
'but have been killed off
on most islands.


740
00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:24,520
'Over the years, Brendon has been
gradually reintroducing them


741
00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:26,880
'to his corner of the Indian Ocean.'


742
00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:32,520
These are one year old. Oh, my
goodness. Careful he doesn't drop.


743
00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:35,800
Oh, he won't drop.
Plus, it has got a hard shell, Simon.


744
00:48:35,800 --> 00:48:38,440
It's a hard shell,
it's not a crash helmet.


745
00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:41,120
What I can't find is my little one.


746
00:48:41,120 --> 00:48:47,120
Brendon, you've got another tortoise
that's so small it disappears? Yeah.


747
00:48:47,120 --> 00:48:51,120
Where? In here? Where?


748
00:48:52,720 --> 00:48:54,520
THEY LAUGH


749
00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:58,000
You've got another tortoise
that's so small it's vanished? Yes.


750
00:48:58,000 --> 00:48:59,880
Is it in there somewhere?


751
00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:01,200
I think it's...


752
00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:06,280
How the hell did it get in there?
You found it! Yes.


753
00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:10,000
What you doing in there,
you silly thing? Huh?


754
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:11,840
You are one of my favourites.


755
00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:13,480
How old would this one be?


756
00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:17,040
He's about two weeks.
He was born in my bedroom.


757
00:49:18,240 --> 00:49:22,600
'Giant tortoises are among the
world's longest living creatures.


758
00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:26,640
'They have been known to survive
for more than 180 years.'


759
00:49:26,640 --> 00:49:27,840
I love this.


760
00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:31,560
"Please respect the tortoises.
They are probably older than you."


761
00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:34,360
Yes, they are. But there
is no tortoise older than me.


762
00:49:34,360 --> 00:49:37,160
Really? Mmm-hmm. How old...?


763
00:49:37,160 --> 00:49:39,720
So they have to behave themselves
when they see me around.


764
00:49:39,720 --> 00:49:42,840
Brendon, do you mind if I ask,
how old are you?


765
00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:47,360
I'm getting on for...86.


766
00:49:47,360 --> 00:49:48,760
86.


767
00:49:48,760 --> 00:49:52,440
Do you think that
because you've had such a passion


768
00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:58,000
and you've been working for
so long protecting, looking after,


769
00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:00,600
creating the island
in the first place...?


770
00:50:00,600 --> 00:50:03,320
I think it's knocked
decades off you.


771
00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:05,520
It certainly helped me
to keep alive, yes.


772
00:50:05,520 --> 00:50:07,320
It's given me something to do


773
00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:10,160
and also something
that I know is worthwhile.


774
00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:11,920
Brendon's island, Moyenne,


775
00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:16,200
was recently declared a national
park by the Seychelles government.


776
00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:19,240
It's thought to be the smallest
national park in the world.


777
00:50:19,240 --> 00:50:22,320
There were only four trees
in this area. Four!


778
00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:25,840
I brought in,
altogether, 16,000 trees.


779
00:50:25,840 --> 00:50:27,040
SIMON GASPS


780
00:50:27,040 --> 00:50:30,520
We were not doing it to make a
national park or anything like this.


781
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:34,760
No, no, no. We were doing it
to make the place habitable for me.


782
00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:39,280
Look at this!
Yeah. It's rather beautiful, eh?


783
00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:41,960
You've created paradise here,
Brendon.


784
00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:44,680
People say that.
I wouldn't go as far as that.


785
00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:49,200
What would you call it? Hard work.
SIMON LAUGHS


786
00:50:49,200 --> 00:50:51,160
Brendon,
would you ever sell the island?


787
00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:54,480
The only reason somebody
would want to buy this island


788
00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:55,920
is to build a big hotel.


789
00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:57,360
And have you never been tempted?


790
00:50:57,360 --> 00:50:59,440
You must have been
offered millions, surely?


791
00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:02,600
I have been offered millions, yes.
And you've said no every time?


792
00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:04,880
And I've said no.


793
00:51:08,480 --> 00:51:10,440
What's been achieved here


794
00:51:10,440 --> 00:51:13,640
has happened with a huge amount
of hard work


795
00:51:13,640 --> 00:51:17,240
and an extraordinary amount
of planting


796
00:51:17,240 --> 00:51:21,560
while the rest of us have been busy
tarmacking over our front gardens


797
00:51:21,560 --> 00:51:24,280
to turn them into car parks.


798
00:51:24,280 --> 00:51:26,520
He might be
an accidental conservationist,


799
00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:31,120
but by his actions, Brendon has
created a little patch of heaven.


800
00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:37,120
All the best.
Thank you very much indeed. Bye.


801
00:51:37,120 --> 00:51:40,040
Bye-bye!


802
00:51:48,080 --> 00:51:49,600
In the 18th-century,


803
00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:53,680
these isolated tropical islands
were a haven for pirates.


804
00:51:53,680 --> 00:51:56,960
And in the 21st-century, the problem
has returned with a vengeance.


805
00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:03,360
Modern-day pirates operating
from their bases in war-torn Somalia


806
00:52:03,360 --> 00:52:06,360
have launched hundreds of attacks
on ships and boats


807
00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:07,760
across the western Indian Ocean


808
00:52:07,760 --> 00:52:10,280
and around the waters
of the Seychelles.


809
00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:14,360
'We met up with
Colonel Michael Rosette,


810
00:52:14,360 --> 00:52:17,360
'the head
of the Seychelles Coast Guard.'


811
00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:20,640
Those are some of the skiff


812
00:52:20,640 --> 00:52:24,160
which we have taken over when
we apprehended Somali pirates.


813
00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:28,160
So these are the pirates' boats?
Yeah, those are the pirates' boats.


814
00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:32,840
Normally, they are equipped with a
40 or 60 horsepower outboard engine.


815
00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:35,920
They have enough speed
to overtake any bigger boats.


816
00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:40,160
The thing that really strikes me
is the idea that the Seychelles,


817
00:52:40,160 --> 00:52:43,480
which I would consider
paradise islands,


818
00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:46,120
have been more affected by piracy


819
00:52:46,120 --> 00:52:49,160
than any other country
after Somalia.


820
00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:51,960
There are other southern countries
which are suffering


821
00:52:51,960 --> 00:52:54,640
but not as much as the Seychelles.


822
00:52:54,640 --> 00:52:58,000
We are in the centre,
or the eye of the storm, as we say.


823
00:52:58,000 --> 00:53:01,440
So most of the activities have been
revolving around the Seychelles.


824
00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:03,800
Some of the areas where fishermen
used to go fishing,


825
00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:06,400
now it's not safe for them
to go fishing


826
00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:10,720
because we have seen cases where
local fishermen have been hijacked


827
00:53:10,720 --> 00:53:13,080
and taken hostage by pirates.


828
00:53:14,960 --> 00:53:17,760
The pirates arrested by
the Coast Guard in these boats


829
00:53:17,760 --> 00:53:20,920
were standing trial in the main
court in the capital, Victoria.


830
00:53:22,040 --> 00:53:24,880
Seychelles is actually
one of the few countries


831
00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:29,440
to have captured pirates
and to put them on trial.


832
00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:34,440
The Seychelles government estimate
that as a result of piracy,


833
00:53:34,440 --> 00:53:37,840
revenue from fisheries is down 30%.


834
00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:39,280
Tourism has also been hit.


835
00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:42,080
At the same time, they're having
to spend an extra £2 million a year


836
00:53:42,080 --> 00:53:44,280
to combat the pirates.


837
00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:52,080
These 11 men are accused of
attacking a Seychelles fishing boat


838
00:53:52,080 --> 00:53:54,160
and seizing seven fishermen.


839
00:53:56,920 --> 00:53:59,480
How do you feel when
you see them up close like that?


840
00:53:59,480 --> 00:54:01,360
It's mixed, actually.


841
00:54:01,360 --> 00:54:05,520
You feel pity because you might have
an idea what he's trying to escape


842
00:54:05,520 --> 00:54:08,280
but at the same time you feel angry


843
00:54:08,280 --> 00:54:10,600
cos they are taking part
in criminal acts


844
00:54:10,600 --> 00:54:12,480
and we have to foot the bill


845
00:54:12,480 --> 00:54:15,680
and it's not our fault they have
problems in their own country.


846
00:54:15,680 --> 00:54:19,520
We have nothing to do with that. But
somehow we are paying for it as well.


847
00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:24,080
We later heard the pirates
each got ten years in prison.


848
00:54:27,040 --> 00:54:29,840
The Seychelles main prison
can accommodate 450,


849
00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:31,760
but as attacks continue,


850
00:54:31,760 --> 00:54:34,320
a new high-security wing
is under construction


851
00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:36,280
to house dozens more pirates.


852
00:54:38,720 --> 00:54:42,840
'Somali gunmen are striking across
a huge area of the Indian Ocean


853
00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:44,680
'and the Seychelles
is at the centre


854
00:54:44,680 --> 00:54:48,240
'of international
counter-piracy operations.'


855
00:54:48,240 --> 00:54:51,200
A NATO warship has arrived here
in the Seychelles


856
00:54:51,200 --> 00:54:52,880
on anti-piracy operations


857
00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:55,120
and they are going
to let us on board.


858
00:54:56,160 --> 00:54:59,080
My goodness. Thank you very much.


859
00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:05,280
It's huge.


860
00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:07,320
'The De Ruyter is a Dutch frigate,


861
00:55:07,320 --> 00:55:09,800
'part of NATO's operation
Ocean Shield.


862
00:55:11,040 --> 00:55:15,960
'The task force commander
is Commodore Michael Hijmans.'


863
00:55:15,960 --> 00:55:18,880
How many pirate attacks are you
recording in your area per week,


864
00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:22,840
per month, per year at the moment?


865
00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:28,520
At this moment,
we have dozens of attacks already.


866
00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:32,360
Almost every day,
there are three to four attacks.


867
00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:36,000
Three to four attacks every day?
What are the pirates going after?


868
00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:38,320
What sort of ships
are they trying to attack?


869
00:55:38,320 --> 00:55:42,040
At this moment, the pirates
are after almost every ship


870
00:55:42,040 --> 00:55:43,960
they can lay their hands on.


871
00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:47,040
They attack small dhows,
small fishing vessels,


872
00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:49,400
which they also use as mother ships


873
00:55:49,400 --> 00:55:52,200
and they use the crew
to be held hostage.


874
00:55:52,200 --> 00:55:54,160
And that's one of
the main problems we face -


875
00:55:54,160 --> 00:55:57,520
on all these mother ships,
there are hostages,


876
00:55:57,520 --> 00:55:59,880
so it's very difficult
to attack them


877
00:55:59,880 --> 00:56:03,600
without harming
these innocent seafarers.


878
00:56:03,600 --> 00:56:07,720
We have had reports of severe
torture, of fake executions,


879
00:56:07,720 --> 00:56:10,680
of strangulation, of beatings


880
00:56:10,680 --> 00:56:14,120
and a lot of other bad things
are happening to the crews.


881
00:56:16,480 --> 00:56:19,320
The De Ruyter is one of just
a handful of Western warships


882
00:56:19,320 --> 00:56:21,520
that are patrolling
an area of Indian ocean


883
00:56:21,520 --> 00:56:24,360
twice the size of mainland Europe.


884
00:56:28,240 --> 00:56:31,040
With pirates capturing
ever bigger vessels


885
00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:32,640
and keeping hostages on board,


886
00:56:32,640 --> 00:56:36,440
NATO is deploying
more sophisticated warships,


887
00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:38,480
equipped with helicopters
and Marines.


888
00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:43,000
I was allowed to join them
on an exercise.


889
00:56:44,480 --> 00:56:48,200
It was a joint operation
with the Seychelles Coast Guard


890
00:56:48,200 --> 00:56:52,360
to practise rapid boarding
of larger pirated vessels.


891
00:56:54,720 --> 00:56:57,720
It's extraordinary
that this is happening now.


892
00:56:57,720 --> 00:56:58,960
It's the 21st century


893
00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:01,960
and you're going after pirates
in the Indian Ocean.


894
00:57:04,840 --> 00:57:09,000
Did you ever think this would happen
when you joined up? No.


895
00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:12,720
OK, so the plan is, we're going
to approach the target vessel


896
00:57:12,720 --> 00:57:15,120
and the Marines are going
to rappel down using this rope


897
00:57:15,120 --> 00:57:16,400
and take control of it.


898
00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:18,720
I imagine it's all
going to happen extremely quickly.


899
00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:19,760
That's the whole idea.


900
00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:33,760
The Marines rehearsed
rapid rappelling onto the ship.


901
00:57:40,400 --> 00:57:42,640
They moved quickly,
because in a real assault,


902
00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:46,600
their lives and the lives
of hostages would be at stake.


903
00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:54,640
While the Marines secured the target
ship, I headed back to the frigate.


904
00:58:06,560 --> 00:58:10,360
They're taking the Marines off
the target vessel now.


905
00:58:10,360 --> 00:58:12,960
Soon they'll be back on board here


906
00:58:12,960 --> 00:58:15,520
and then this ship will be off
patrolling the shipping lanes


907
00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:18,160
to keep them free from pirates.


908
00:58:18,160 --> 00:58:22,560
This is the end of this part of
my journey around the Indian Ocean.


909
00:58:22,560 --> 00:58:26,320
On the next leg, I'll be heading
back to the African mainland


910
00:58:26,320 --> 00:58:29,200
and travelling through
the pirate-infested Horn of Africa,


911
00:58:29,200 --> 00:58:31,880
one of the most dangerous regions
of the world.


912
00:58:39,920 --> 00:58:43,000
'Next time, I visit
the most important river delta on


913
00:58:43,000 --> 00:58:44,440
'Africa's Indian Ocean coast...'


914
00:58:44,440 --> 00:58:46,240
SIMON GASPS


915
00:58:46,240 --> 00:58:49,880
You have succeeded. Yay!


916
00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:57,080
'..and I go to the front line
in the world's most dangerous city.'


917
00:58:58,520 --> 00:59:00,920
How does he know it's out of bounds?
GUNFIRE


918
00:59:19,440 --> 00:59:22,480
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