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Project May 21, 2015

Guatemala: Challenges in Lake Atitlán

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Image by Eric Halperin. Guatemala, 2015.

San Juan La Laguna is one of ten Guatemalan towns that surround Lake Atitlán. Many of the town's residents say the level of the lake rises every 50 years. What's also been rising in the lake over a similar time has been the level of contamination, which is hurting the fishing industry.

This project examines how local indigenous fishermen are coping with these challenges. Fishing only makes them about $8 per day but when they can they clean the lake, for free.

Eric Halperin travels to San Juan La Laguna to interview a local fisherman and scientist. He talks with a fisherman about the challenges of his job and with a local scientist about a project to help the lake.

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