Here's a chilling thought. Scientists predict that if humans continue fishing the way that we do, we'll see the end of most seafood by 2048. That's bye-bye fish. Sayonara sushi. The End of the Line, a new feature documentary film, outlines the devastating effects of the human appetite for seafood.
The End of the Line is An Inconvenient Truth with a marine flavor. The film follows investigative reporter Charles Clover (author of the book of the same name) as he travels the world from Gibraltar to Tokyo, confronting politicians and restaurateurs about their reckless attitude to fishing excesses. It tells of the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna thanks to increased sushi consumption, the decimation of the abundant Newfoundland cod population, and the hi-tech fishing vessels that leave fish no escape routes.
And bad news, everyone, it's all our fault. Well, it's the fault of consumers who pay no attention to where their fish comes from, fishermen who break quotas, and politicians who do nothing.
What does the movie suggest we do? Its campaign website explains, 'We need to control fishing by reducing the number of fishing boats across the world, protect large areas of the ocean through a network of marine reserves off limits to fishing, and educate consumers that they have a choice by purchasing fish from independently certified sustainable fisheries.'
Says Charles Clover, 'We must stop thinking of our oceans as a food factory and realize that they thrive as a huge and complex marine environment. We must act now to protect the sea from rampant overfishing so that there will be fish in the sea for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.'
The End of the Line is currently on release in select theaters, as well as at aquariums, museums and special screenings for environmental and educational organizations. RM
Images: The End of the Line
del.icio.us
stumble
technorati
digg
reddit
twitter
