Two Shuar men are seen at dawn, beating pounds of barbasco (any of a variety of plant roots that is used as
a fish poison) while another man dips a basketfull of barbasco in a river, slowly turning the water a milky white.
Barbasco works by asfixiating fish, it is unharmful to humans to consume fish poisoned by barbasco. Barbasco
fishing trips are often large group activities. In this case, a whole town was involved with others stationed at
various points downstream ready ready to spear, clean, cook, and smoke the many fish that were later caught.