Hi! It’s konkaz (@konkazuk).
Recently, I’ve been making an effort to watch more environmental documentaries to deepen my understanding of climate change. My wife’s friend recommended “Seaspiracy“, directed by Ali Tabrizi, so we decided to give it a watch.
This film is a must-watch for understanding marine environmental issues, alongside Charles Clover’s The End of the Line.
In the competitive world of consumerism, fishermen continue overfishing without considering the consequences, while many consumers remain unaware of what’s happening in the ocean as they keep eating fish. At this rate, it is said that fish could disappear from the sea by 2048.
If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend taking this opportunity to watch it.
The Shocking Reality of Dolphin Hunting
The most impressive aspect of this film is how director Ali Tabrizi himself takes the risk of infiltrating heavily guarded and hazardous areas to expose the truth about marine problems.
The film’s first major undercover investigation takes place in Wakayama, where my wife’s family lives. It documents the harrowing scenes of dolphin drive hunting, revealing the cruel methods of capture and killing in disturbing footage.
While some of the dolphins caught are sold to aquariums, the remaining ones are slaughtered for their meat.
I’ve been to see a dolphin show in Shirahama, Wakayama, but knowing what goes on behind the scenes makes me feel uneasy.
The Connection Between Seafood Companies and Fishing Net Manufacturers
A dead seal entangled in a discarded fishing net washed up on the beach.
The abandoned nets, known as “ghost nets“, cause many deaths of marine creatures like seals, dolphins, and sea turtles as they get tangled in them.
The fishing nets currently in use are made from durable materials like nylon and plastic, which can last for centuries. Ali points out that the disposal of these nets is one of the main causes of marine plastic pollution.
He then raises the question of why no one is regulating this issue.
As he investigates further, it is revealed that the fishing industry has teamed up with the seafood sector to conceal this problem and divert attention away from the real cause of marine pollution through campaigns such as the “plastic straw ban”.
Straws and other everyday waste are commonly believed to be the leading causes of ocean plastic pollution, but the truth is that 46% of plastic waste in the ocean comes from discarded fishing nets.
Despite being the perpetrators of environmental destruction, they shift the blame onto consumers’ lifestyles instead of taking responsibility.
Furthermore, Ali argues that labels like ‘Dolphin Safe’, which guarantee that products such as canned goods are caught without harming dolphins, and certifications for sustainable fishing from organisations like the Marine Management Organisation, mislead consumers into thinking they are environmentally friendly, even though commercial fishing continues to cause environmental destruction.
In fact, organisations like the “MSC (Marine Stewardship Council)” and the “Marine Management Organisation” have been exposed for receiving funding from the fishing industry, revealing a structure that prioritises profit over environmental concerns.
The Extinction Crisis of Marine Life
The effects of bottom trawling are addressed in Charles Clover’s books and films, and Ali’s documentary ‘Seaspiracy’ further emphasises the critical crisis we are facing.
The most shocking fact is that scientific reports suggest that if fishing continues at this pace,
… there could be no fish left in the ocean by 2048.
(It’s 2048! This isn’t something far off in the future!)
Another shocking fact is that…
the area of ocean floor destroyed by bottom trawling each year is greater than the combined area of all the world’s forests.
To help visualise the scale of this destruction, the comparison is made:
“The impact of bottom trawling is like hundreds of planes crashing every second on the runway of London Heathrow Airport”.
In reality, approximately 43 million acres (around 174,000 square kilometers) of ocean floor are destroyed every day. Considering that the total area of the United Kingdom is about 242,000 square kilometers, this scale is truly devastating.
If fish disappear from the oceans, it will lead to the collapse of marine ecosystems, a global food shortage, an economic crisis, and the acceleration of climate change. This will ultimately become a matter of ‘human survival‘!!!
The Dark Side of the Fishing Industry: Slavery at Sea
Lastly, one more critical issue to highlight is the dark reality of ‘slave labour‘ in the Southeast Asian fishing industry.
Workers who have been trafficked or deceived into boarding fishing vessels find themselves trapped, unable to escape once on board, and forced to endure brutal working conditions for long durations.
Ali manages to covertly board fishing vessels and interview enslaved workers. Their testimonies expose horrifying realities, including reports of deceased labourers being left onboard after dying from abuse or extreme working conditions.
Here, we learn the extent of the inhumane labour behind the seafood we casually purchase. At the same time, the film emphasises that fishing is not just an environmental issue but also a serious human rights concern.
So, What Can We Do?
George Monbiot, a columnist for The Guardian and one of the UK’s leading environmental activists, appears several times throughout the film.
He argues that, ultimately, eating fish supports commercial fishing, which in turn drives environmental destruction and human rights abuses.
Therefore, the most effective solution is for consumers to stop eating fish.
This is a tough reality for the Japanese, as fish is a key part of their diet. Still, we must start cutting down on our fish consumption. If we don’t, there will be no future for the next generation.
It’s an undeniable logic that “if consumption reduces, the supply will also diminish”.
On land, oil companies accelerate global warming by exhausting fossil fuels, while at sea, bottom trawling destroys ecosystems and depletes marine resources.
These politicians and businessmen, who ignore these facts for their own profit, continue to spread false information to divert the attention of the general public and keep pushing forward.
Despite the shock of learning these truths, we end up turning a blind eye because we believe, ‘There’s nothing I can do alone’. As everyone shares this mindset, nothing changes, and our future is steadily heading towards ‘The End’ every day.
I believe everyone is working hard towards their individual goals every day, but by the time those goals are achieved, what may await is a“uninhabitable Earth“.
Even if it’s just for a little bit of time each day, why not start making it a habit to think about environmental destruction and climate change, and incorporate it into your daily life?
Recommending this film to those unaware of what’s going on, or sharing what you know, can be a “small step” that will undoubtedly help change the future.
Let’s begin from today.
Until next time.
konkaz
*You can read this blog post in Japanese from the link below.
👉 “Seaspiracy”の衝撃：海洋環境問題と私たちの未来