Seaspiracy Review: Why this documentary is a must watch

Seaspiracy is jaw-dropping and a very difficult to watch documentary about the devastating impact the commercial fishing industry has had on our ecosystem. Filming maker Ali Tabrizi takes us along on his mission to discover the cause of the rapidly declining state of our oceans. He also uncovers an industry plagued with bribery, greed, and murder.

Tabrizi travels to various parts of the world and discovers one common thread; the fishing industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and many of the organizations who claimed they insured “sustainable” practices are in place when these conglomerates go out to sea were in fact misleading the public. There is no sure way to guarantee the safety of whales, sharks, or other sea creatures while commercial ships are fishing.

In Taiji, Japan, dolphins are killed as a form of pest control because they consume a large amount of fish which the fishing industry views as a threat to the viability of their business. The bluefin tuna is nearly extinct with only 3% of the species remaining because they are being killed and sold for millions of dollars. The documentary also points out that the reason Ebola is so prominent in Africa. The natives have had to resort to eating while animals because foreign vessels are illegally entering African waters and stealing the fish which the natives rely on for food and commerce. Between eleven to thirty thousand sharks are killed per hour; half of which are by-catch. The ocean is home to 80% of life on this planet and it is being destroyed by the fishing industry at an unprecedented rate. Nearly 2.7 trillion fish are captured each year and among them, over 5 million are killed. According to Seaspiracy, at this rate, the ocean will be empty by 2048.

What Can We Do?

As I began to watch this documentary I will be honest and say I was sitting on my couch eating shrimp for lunch, totally unaware of how this would impact me. I felt totally sick to my stomach because I like many others out there are completely oblivious as to where the products we consume come from. In some countries, people are forced into slavery and ordered to work on these ships for years and are often killed when they refuse to comply. 

I felt powerless as I watched innocent sea animals get butchered and wondered what I could possibly do to help.  As individuals, many of us do not have the monetary resources or political influence to affect change but we do have one superpower. We are consumers. They can’t destroy ocean life if we no longer consume what they catch. Now I know it is highly improbable that everyone’s going to just stop eating seafood but the more of us who choose alternatives the better it will be for the environment. It starts with one person and simply signing a petition or using a hashtag is not enough. 

According to the documentary, the omega-3 fatty acids do not derive from the fish itself but from the algae in the ocean. The ocean itself is heavily polluted and the fish is contaminated with toxic heavy metal, mercury, PCB, and other harmful substances. So if you’re reasoning for eating seafood is for its nutritional benefits, think again.

Have you watched Seaspiracy? What did you think of the film? Review and comment below.