Otter Fishing - Bangladesh

March 1997 In the world's most crowded country, Bangladesh, it's hard to imagine there's any room for nature. But we discover a unique relationship between man and beast. Crashing around in a log box, two otters in rope harnesses are desperate to get to their food. A fisherman lifts the lid and out they dive to munch on the fishtails scattered outside their wooden cage. Bengali fishermen use these otters to herd fish into their nets. Every year Bengali menfolk bid their families farewell and sail downstream to catch their fish. With a sharp smack on the bottom, the otters are dispatched into the water and told to swim for their keep! More often than not, they get caught up in the nets and incur verbal abuse from their masters. As crimson sunset falls, the fishermen cook by their fires and the otters curl up in the boxes and go to sleep. Produced by ABC Australia Distributed by Journeyman Pictures