theendofthelineCiara

Ciara Chambers Film Annotation


 * Title, director, and release year? **

The End of the Line, 2008 Director : Rupert Murray

The film’s main argument is to convince the viewer that overfishing is a major sustainability problem, and if something is not done about it, we will not have any oceanic fish on the market (estimated to collapse around 2050). Many communities survive on fish as a staple of the diet, and without this food they will suffer starvation and be forced to move.
 * What is the central argument or narrative of the film? **

The movie shows an investigative reporter as he reveals the fishing industries’ harvesting and marketing systems, as well as the ignorance of the consumer at large. Bluefin tuna, a species of focus in the film, is now on the edge of extinction. Catch of this species has declined by 80%. Because of big business and profit motivation, and weak enforcement of fishing regulations, bluefin tuna and other similar species soon to be fished out of the oceans.

People have a conceptualization of the ocean as a vast, beautiful, and inexhaustive resource. This attitude needs to change. The reality is that the future is not going to be the same as the past, as overfishing has transformed the world’s largest ecosystem. We are simply catching more species than can be replaced. An analogous example, but a smaller-scale case, was in 1992. Cod caught off of Newfoundland were fished out of existence. Also, in Senegal, stocks have declined in the last 50 years. Fish used to be abundant in this region. If nothing is done, the fish we consume currently will be gone before we know it. There is a flaw in that our economy depends on a finite supply of fish. The main problem is rooted in mass fishing techniques, as technology has created fishing lines and nets to catch more fish, more efficiently. A tenth of fish caught is lost as by-catch, reducing the biodiversity in the ocean. Large catch fishing started in the 1950s. Multinational corporations are also involved in mass catching fish, which is backed by international agreements. For example, Mitsubishi buys fish, and similar corporations are sending larger boats out, building up traders, and keeping frozen stocks. Consumer knowledge is also an important factor in sustainability. There is not enough awareness about where our food comes from in general, but even more so when it comes to where our fish comes from. For example, fish has become trendy in sushi restaurants, but very few have stopped to ask how it was caught and where.
 * What sustainability problems does the film draw out? **

I found it very compelling that the film showed overfishing’s impact that can be seen by increasing jellyfish populations near beaches worldwide. We are disruption the natural biological interactions that keep the ocean’s ecosystem healthy. The ocean is clearly losing its biodiversity, and overfishing is destroying ecological ties as well as predator/prey relationships.
 * What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why? **

I wasn’t very convinced that selling “sustainable” fish at Wal-Mart is a part of the solution to overfishing. They didn’t offer any other information on what kind of regulation goes into selling this kind of fish. Who certifies this fish? I feel that the film left out some critical information.
 * What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why? **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">This film best addresses people who would like to gain a better understanding of the fishing industry. Also, this film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. This festival was a critical venue to show the movie, as it was shown to a diverse crowd.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">What audiences does the film best address? Why? **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental education value? <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I feel that the film could have added a section about the toxins in fish tissue due to industrial activity, such as mercury and PCBs. This is also a major concern for fish consumers. It shouldn’t have been left out of the film.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">The film suggests establishing a more widespread fishing limit through policy. For example, Alaska has enforced fishing in a 200 mile radius and has also established a time limit for fishermen in this region. This is effective for one region, yet it is difficult to enforce worldwide. Consumer awareness is one step in solving the global sustainability issue. Consumers can choose the fish they buy and can pressure government to put regulations on global fishing policy. Hopefully, this will environmental legislation will limit corporations from overfishing and allow fish stocks to replenish.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective. **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- The film mentions ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) quota, but doesn’t talk about its effectiveness. Here’s what I found: <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">o The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is an inter-governmental fishery organization responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas. ICCAT compiles fishery statistics from its members and from all entities fishing for these species in the Atlantic Ocean, coordinates research, including stock assessment, on behalf of its members, develops scientific-based management advice, provides a mechanism for Contracting Parties to agree on management measures, and produces relevant publications. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">o ICCAT has been criticized for failing to manage its fishing quotas by creating short-term policies that favor fishermen over the health of the tuna species. It has failed to heed the repeated warnings of the scientific and conservationist communities alike that collapse is now likely. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">o Source: []
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? **

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- One of the most abundant fishing regions in the world is the Coral Triangle. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">o Located in waters off the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, the Coral Triangle covers almost 1.6 billion acres – an area about half the size of the United States. The waters of the Coral Triangle hold the highest diversity of iridescent corals, fish, crustaceans, mollusks and marine plant species in the world. Unsustainable fishing, poorly planned development, pollution, a growing population and the effects of climate change are all contributing to the degradation of the Coral Triangle <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">o Source: [] <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">