JessFilmAnnotation3

Annotation #3 10/14/11 //The End of the Line// 680

1. //The End of the Line// was directed by Rupert Murray in 2009.

2. The main argument of the film is that we are over-fishing our oceans at a rate from which the oceans cannot bounce back.

3. The film starts by using the case study of the cod. It has been fished almost out of extinction and though there are now harsh restrictions on fishing cod, the population has not bounced back because the entire ecosystem has shifted. Through over-fishing, we are causing huge ecological shifts that we do not understand the eventual impact. There was a lot of scientific evidence presented as well as a number of charts and statistics. The film does appeal to one’s emotions.

4. The film draws out many different sustainability problems including political, economic, technological, organizational, cultural and ecological issues.

5. One of the most compelling arguments in the film was using the example of the cod and showing the shift in the eco-system and then relating it to the food chains of the fish we are currently over-fishing. By over-fishing the major predators of the ocean, we are removing the top of the food chain allowing for other fish to begin rising in population. This is why there are so many jellyfish in the ocean today. Shifting the types of fish will just continue pushing the food chain back until we are left with mud and worms.

6. I was not convinced by the argument that as the over-fishing continues and we shift lower and lower on the food chain that the water quality would go down. The film states that the increase in algae and worms would cause this decline, but if this occurred in the world’s oceans which need to undergo a filtration process to be drinkable anyways, this does not seem like a huge concern or impact from this particular problem.

7. The film addresses a more global audience than the previous films. This is because it uses case studies from around the world as well as experts from different countries. This also helps to emphasize how global the issue is.

8. To enhance the film, I would be interested to know how they actually surveyed all of the ocean’s fish. This seems like an incredibly tedious task as well as one that could be easily biased by the people doing the surveying but it remains a critical point in proving their case. More details on their process would be valuable in understanding the validity of the study.

9. The film advocates for more enforceable limitations on fishing. There need to be penalties for people who exceed these limits and ways to get the world to comply to lowering their fish consumption so we can help the various fish populations bounce back. On a more personal scale, we can investigate which fish species are endangered and avoid buying and eating them.

10. The film made me look into where my tuna fish comes from. I typically buy Bumble Bee’s White Albacore Tuna. Bumble Bee is the only major cannery in the US and processes imported tuna loins. Bumble Bee LLC, Inc is the largest branded seafood company in North America. Albacore tuna move too quickly to be caught in nets and are therefore baited or driftnets are used. Pacific ‘troll caught’ Albacore are ‘sustainable’. [] Another thing that I decided to investigate was the regulations for fishing in New York State. I was surprised to find that there are fishing seasons for particular types of fish and that individual bodies of water have more specific allowances and regulations. Once the limit for the particular fish is caught, the fisherman may continue fishing on a catch and release basis. There are also specific regulations on the possession of fish eggs. The rules state that people are limited on the amount of fish eggs they collect and do not allow them to fish using fish eggs. This regulation is in place to prevent foreign fish from invading local waters. []