"End Of The Line" Film Rings Alarm On Fish Supply
Date: 06-Jul-09
Country: US
Author: Richard Leong
Tuna on a sushi rotates on a conveyor-belt at a sushi bar in
Kushiro in the eastern part of Hokkaido, northern Japan, February 10, 2007.
Photo: Yuriko Nakao
NEW YORK - If sushi lovers think the price of their favorite raw fish is too
high already, then new documentary "The End of the Line" may shock them with
its argument that the real cost may be some species' extinction.
The film from director Rupert Murray, which is playing in art houses in the
United States and United Kingdom, makes the case that consumer ignorance,
clout of the fishing industry, and rising sushi demand in the West are
causing "crashes" of numerous fish populations, leading to their "collapse."
"Food is one of the ways we have a massive impact on the planet," Murray
told Reuters about his movie, which is based on the book of the same name by
U.K. journalist Charles Clover.
A dire prediction cited in the film is most seafood will disappear in 40
years if current fishing practices persist -- a forecast the fishing
industry and officials dispute.
"All the federal (fish) stocks are trending in the right direction. Very few
will be considered overfished," said Dan Furlong, executive director of the
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
Indeed, U.S. fish stocks are better managed, such as those in Alaska, whose
fishery program is shown in Murray's film.
But others species like the bluefin tuna and the Chilean sea bass -- have
not been so lucky. Huge demand, plus questionable hunting practices, for
these fish are pushing them near extinction, according to Murray.
"An industrial fleet can wipe out a species in about 10 years," he said.
Ironically, fewer big fish like bluefin tuna have led to increased supply of
lobsters and shrimps, which big fish feast on. Scientists in the Murray's
films, however, cautioned this rise in shellfish is temporary because they
will eventually be overfished too.
"The food chain is the eco-system. I don't think we understand the impact of
it (all)," Murray said.
Murray said seafood restaurants and celebrity chefs can play vital roles to
promote responsible fishing.
In the film, Clover pursues Nobu, a well-known high-end sushi chain, to stop
serving bluefin.
"We are not advocating giving up eating fish," Murray said. "If we fish it
properly, it will be there forever. It's really a no-brainer really."
Despite his concerns, Murray said the tide may be turning.
"I'm very hopeful actually," he said. "We are just at the beginning of the
line."
(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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