Hook, line and sunk

In what some are calling the An Inconvenient Truth for the oceans, the documentary End of the Line is saying that we will run out of fish by 2048 if something isn’t done now. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January and is now screening worldwide, raising eyebrows along the way. Filmed over two years, it looks at worldwide fish stocks, particularly of bluefin tuna, which the film says faces “imminent extinction.” It shows the danger to them from overfishing, overconsumption—all-you-can-eat sushi, anyone?—the impact of overpopulated jellyfish on marine life, and how fish farms aren’t the answer.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation says 75 percent of wild marine fish worldwide are either “fully exploited” or overfished. And well-respected oceanographer Sylvia Earle, while receiving her Rachel Carson Award at a conference in May, used the opportunity to tell the crowd a very clear statement that nonetheless raises questions: Stop eating fish. (All fish? Certain fish? She didn’t elaborate.)

End of the Line urges consumers to choose only sustainable seafood, a list of which was developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and is found here: www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx

Protests from celebrities who’ve seen the film, including Alicia Silverstone, Sting and Greta Scacchi have caused some restaurants, including Robert De Niro’s Nobu restaurant in London, to consider removing the bluefin tuna from its menu. (The restaurant decided to leave it on but to include a suggestion for a sustainable alternative for diners.) The Pret a Manger sandwich chain also announced it would stop serving all tuna due to the film’s message.