The End of the Line

Over the weekend, I saw the documentary The End of the Line about the fishing industry. It's a powerful indictment of how we have turned the hunting of these wild animals into big business. The fishing industry, legally and illegally, uses methods of finding and capturing fish that don't leave the fish a chance.

Take Blue Fin Tuna. The EU determined a fishing allotment that was more than twice what scientists recommended for the species to survive, let alone recover. The actual catch when you include illegal catching is more than twice the EU's number. The blue fin don't stand a chance. And the largest broker of the tuna? Mitsubishi Corporation in Japan. We don't think of that when we buy their cars and electronics. And restaurants like Nobu refuse to take blue fin off the menu.

Or take North Atlantic Cod, a fish that has completely collapsed because of overfishing. Or that the amount of small fish like sardines that are killed to feed farmed fish like salmon is more than the amount of salmon it feeds.

Here's another tidbit I learned. The reason fish caught in Alaskan waters are almost always environmentally sustainable is because Alaska has strong regulation that allows for fishing only 10% of stocks so that populations don't collapse. There's more on the good news front. From McDonald's to Wal-Mart, there is a focus on serving and selling only sustainable and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish.

A few weeks ago I wrote about how the UK chain Pret a Manger took tuna off the menu after seeing the film.

The End of the Line producers have also started a campaign, asking consumers to take a pledge to take several actions:

-         Only eat sustainable seafood by asking where your fish comes from and how it was caught before you buy. Not sure what is sustainable? Check out Seafood Watch or use FishPhone by texting 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. They’ll text you back with an assessment and better alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns. Or ask your favorite restaurants to only use fish that is Marine Stewardship Council certified. You can buy MSC certified products at a number of stores and specialty shops including Wal-Mart, Safeway, Costco and Target.

-         Tell politicians to develop fishing quotas based on science and precaution

-         Join the campaign for marine protected areas and responsible fishing. Currently, only 3% of the world’s oceans are protected areas, tell politicians we want more protected marine reserves.

If you’re a fish eater, see the film. It’s not about giving up fish. It’s about understanding where your fish comes from and why it matters. It’s a film about saving fish species so that we can continue to get sustenance from the sea.