The sacred Pink dolphin is facing extinction; A River Below explains why. 
-Arlene Frooman

“Every life has the same value.” Is it acceptable to sacrifice one life to avert death and destruction? When is it justifiable to cross that line?  This is the ethical quandary posed by Fernando Trujillo and Richard Rasmussen in the documentary, A River Below.

A River Below opens with an aerial shot of the Amazon, the world’s longest river.  It flows 4,345 miles through South America with river systems and flood plains in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia and Venezuela. It is 1,725 miles across at its widest point. The Amazon basin is a global resource and accounts for the largest volume of drainage of freshwater in the world. It is the home to up to 5,600 species of fish, and new species are discovered every year.

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The focal point of A River Below is the murder of the endangered Amazon pink dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also known as botos or the pink river dolphin.  This mammal that can grow up to eight feet in length.  Fernando Trujillo is the world’s leading biologist on pink dolphins. He came to the Amazon when he was nineteen, and has been studying the pink dolphins for twenty years. “The dolphin is not a simple animal.” Trujillo, in the doc, describes them as one of the “most clever, intelligent and charismatic mammals of the world.” The population of pink dolphins in the Amazon has experienced a 60% decline in the past decade. The dolphins are sacred to the indigenous people who believe people can turn into dolphins and the dolphins can turn into people. 

A River Below, may be initially difficult to watch. These sacred mammals are slaughtered by the local fishermen with hand-held harpoons, spears, machetes, clubs and nets by the local fishermen to be used as bait for the piracatinga or motos. The motivation behind this graphic film is to preserve the pink dolphin population. The initial scene may be extremely disturbing.

Trujillo collected data and submitted numerous research papers on pink dolphins over the past twenty years in an effort to impact the people and gain government support for preservation. Unfortunately, research data does not affect people in the same way actual film footage can. What people see tells a more believable story.  Richard Rasmussen is a biologist and a conservationist as well as the popular host of a National Geographic wildlife program in Brazil. He has the reputation of being a somewhat controversial figure who resorts to unconventional, questionable, and sometimes illegal means to bring attention to crucial environmental issues in Brazil. Rasmussen in the doc states he, “believes animals should be handled with respect,” but he feels his use of mass media is justifiable. It is a drastic action necessary to protect the botos from “an industry built on boto blood.” While the hunting of the botos is difficult to watch, it serves a specific purpose to bring immediate attention to this crisis. The slaughter of the female dolphin is aired on the popular tv show, “Fantastico” and people finally react. In 2012, Bolivian president Evo Morales created a law to protect the pink dolphin, and the animal was declared a national treasure. In Columbia, where most of the fish are exported responds with a cooking show highlighting various ways the moto might be served.

The industry becomes further jeopardized when it is discovered that the picatinga contain unsafe levels of mercury.  Throughout the film, director Toros Tammer, along with Trujillo and Rasmussen, use vivid and explicit images to convey a serious message that not everyone wants to hear. The sale of picatinga is the basis for a multi-layered billion-dollar fishing industry in Brazil and Columbia. It is a major source of income for the local people. The villagers filmed by Rasmussen have not only lost their primary source of income, but have been ostracized and threatened by other fishermen. They claim Rasmussen bribed them. After a period of nine years, Trujillo returned to the Amazon with a bodyguard and wore a bulletproof vest.  Rasmussen felt his action was necessary and essential in order to halt the slaughter of the pink dolphins for bait. He willingly returned to the fishing village to confront the angry villagers and face their accusations. Rasmussen calls them “a village of heroes.” They admit they were not bribed or paid, but accepted offers of food and candy for permitting Rasmussen to film them killing a pregnant boto.

What is in question is bioethical fish management, the corruption by South American governments, and seafood fraud. Mislabeling of fish is a common practice. A picatinga is also called and sold under the name dourado, or douradinho. It is a common catfish. Overfishing the preferred fish fetches higher prices, and has also dwindled the fish population as well as the pink dolphins. It is easy to invent new names to hide a fish’s identity.  DNA analysis has revealed that they are the same fish.

Seafood fraud is not solely relegated to the Amazon. It is also present in the United States. 33% of the seafood in the United States is mislabeled or posing as imposters. This practice risks health through the exposure to toxins and frequently occurs in fish farming throughout Asia. It violates international laws and endangers the wild fish population.

The boto ban ends in 2018. Unfortunately, pink dolphins breed in three-year cycles possibly making it difficult to determine the ban’s impact. Preservation of the Amazon and its diverse wildlife presents a complex challenge to save not only the pink dolphin, but a vast, unique ecosystem that impacts us all.

To learn more about the documentary, Rasmussen and Trujillo, visit A River Below’s Facebook page. 

Arlene Frooman is a Texas-based writer. Marnie, her Corgi has been known to occasionally boss her around.