Forget 2012. It seems the world has a good chance of ending around 2050. No, this is not the prediction of the latest apocalyptic Nostradamus-style book, nor is it to do with the latest Hollywood disaster movie, rather it is the message of the latest eco-documentary. The focus is on our rapidly depleting worldwide fish stocks, and The End of the Line has facts, details and visuals that are far more horrifying than reading Nostradamus, or watching a high-tech end of the world disaster movie. This is because we are informed that an estimated 90 per cent of the world's large fish – tuna, cod and salmon – have disappeared from the ocean since 1950 and, extrapolating from the current rate of decline, some experts believe that, by mid-century, there may be nothing left but plankton, jellyfish and worms. Yes, exactly. At the rate we are going, fish stocks worldwide could collapse by 2050. We are used to viewing the sea as an endless resource, but those fantasies are well and truly over.
‘Green’ actor Ten Danson lends his soothing tones to this Rupert Murray directed film based on a book by Charles Clover. During the course of the movie we hear stories of fishermen from countries as diverse as Canada and Spain who are all facing the same, harsh reality that there are just not enough fish in the sea to sustain them and their livelihoods. Director Rupert Murray combines these stories with impactful visuals of our plundered oceans, and then seasons the whole enterprise with hard, cold, frightening statistics. Murray points to corporate greed, government ambivalence and inadequate regulation and enforcement, as the root causes of our planet’s over-fishing. Murray never complains about the need to fish, rather he acknowledges the central role that fishing plays in many cultures, but he does rightfully complain about the tonnes of wasted sea-life caught and discarded annually and the destructive effects of practices such as bottom-trawling, which leave one feeling a little nauseous they are so disgusting.
All in all, it is more than enough to both educate and infuriate, and Murray definitely demands a response from his audience with an ‘altar-call’ ending - a call-to-action for those who have sat idly by as our oceans are squeezed dry of life. Murray does well to give practical and actionable advice that the average person can do to make a difference in this regard. The optimistic, activist ending informs us that reducing the size of fishing fleets, creating more marine reserves and encouraging consumers to eat only sustainable fish will make a huge difference.
This is a better-than-average eco-doc, although I fear the effectiveness of these messages will become lost due to the sheer number of them that are being churned out lately. I would encourage you seeing it, because its message really does matter and as Murray makes clear at the end – the normal, average individual can make a difference.
Three (and a half) stars out of five.