Not since Tiger King erupted into our lives in 2020, a documentary series has completely begun Netflix Seaspiracy movie.
This 90-minute film about the commercial fishing industry, created by filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, who previously made Cowspiracy, has captured the imagination of viewers around the world.
With many viewers promising to ‘stop eating fish’ after witnessing the environmental devastation and damage to marine life due to human behavior, Seaspiracy feels like a starting point for new discussions on how we treat the wonders of ocean life .
Tabrizi does not hold back in the documentary and inevitably there was a lot of reaction from people shown in the film, groups like the Marine Stewardship Council and even marine ecologists.
No matter which side of the fence you sit on regarding Seaspiracy, the film certainly achieves its goal of stirring an gut reaction and shedding a light on the way seafood makes it onto our plates.
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What will be interesting to see is whether Tabrizi’s radical and unanimous approach shuts off more than just a few viewers from eating fish – or whether it could form an entire industry.
That’s why everyone is talking about Netflix’s Seaspiracy …
Bycatch, ‘dolphin safe’ tuna and bottom trawling – shocking footage exposed
The biggest points of discussion among the viewers of the film were some of the revelations about the techniques used in our oceans and the marketing strategies used to make us all feel happier about our fish meal.
The film claims that the ‘dolphin-proof’ label we are all looking for in tuna is not accurate. This gives some shocking numbers about the number of whales, sea turtles and dolphins being killed as bycatch (when creatures that are not fished by the fishing industry) and drills are the ecological damage caused by bottom trawling.
The numbers and allegations will be discussed by the fishing industry, but regardless, the film is a bold start to a conversation about the future our oceans want.
The filmmaker has been heavily criticized for his one-eyed approach to the subject, but what cannot be disputed is his bravery and passion for ocean life.
Not even its biggest critics can argue that there are not certain areas in the fishing industry that use shocking techniques and practices.
Millions of viewers will tune in to David Attenborough’s beautiful documentaries every year and witness the wonders of planet earth, but critics of rural nature films accuse the producers of not doing enough to shake us to action. It is claimed that they do not bring home the devastation caused by humans every day.
Is Tabrizi going too far the other way? Perhaps. But as long as you view Seaspiracy with a critical lens, viewers can still appreciate his efforts and arguments.
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Tabrizi’s argument that sustainable fishing is a myth has found that he has faced an avalanche of criticism from all quarters, and many fact-finding articles have examined his allegations.
The Marine Stewardship Council insisted that “fish stocks can recover and replenish if managed carefully” and cited examples with Patagonian toothfish and Namibian hake.
Meanwhile, Dr Bryce Stewart, a marine ecologist and fisheries biologist, took to Twitter to accuse the film of “misleading” viewers.
“It often exaggerates and makes links where there are none,” she wrote.
The debate is likely to rage, but Tabrizi will not be disappointed – he stares at the film in frightening moments than Twitter facts.
If you watch the movie, it’s worth remembering that the argument is not really black and white. In the case of Seaspiracy, however, it feels like this is the first time we’re seeing the other side of the debate and that the impact will be long-lasting for many viewers.
Seaspiracy is now available to watch on Netflix.