How accurate is Seaspiracy? Netflix documentary under radar for factual inconsistencies?

Seaspiracy is a recent documentary on Netflix that has been leaving the viewers stunned with its shocking claims and revelations. This short documentary film throws some light on the increase of plastic waste and debris in the water bodies and also tries to highlight the problem of overfishing in various parts of the globe. While the film has been receiving rave reviews, some people have been wondering “How accurate is Seaspiracy” especially after a few environmentalists and experts questioned the facts and figures highlighted in the piece.

How accurate is Seaspiracy?

Seaspiracy is a recent documentary on Netflix that has been gaining attention for its explosive content regarding the current state of the seas and oceans around the globe. The documentary claims that the fishing industry has been indulging in animal abuse which is a major threat in the current times. The documentary also ridicules the concept of sustainable fishing, which is considered an eco-friendly method that can help the planet grow while benefitting everyone. The filmmaker of Seaspiracy, Ali Tabrizi, is of the stance that fish farming also eventually affects aquatic life, resulting in a loss that cannot be contained or fixed.

The documentary has also spoken about the ruthless labour that goes into the commercial industry on a regular basis. The film shows a byte by a local fisherman in Thailand, who claims that he was held on gunpoint when he was once at work and some fishermen have even lost their lives while being a part of the industry. These explosive revelations have left the audience quite stunned as the documentary focuses on issues that have never been highlighted before.

Various experts from different parts of the globe have called out the filmmaker and the film for lack of factual correctness and misinterpretation of stance. Dr Bryce Stewart, who is a marine ecologist and fisheries biologist from the University of York, took to Twitter to highlight the hits and misses of the documentary film. He put forth a neutral perspective, stating that the documentary does highlight an important issue but exaggerates and draws connections where, in reality, there are none. He also termed Seaspiracy as the worst kind of journalism as it does more harm than good, in his opinion.

The Seaspiracy documentary film has also been receiving strong criticism even from the people who have been a part of the project. For instance, according to Inews, The Plastic Pollution Coalition, which was featured in the film, stated that the filmmaker only picked portions of their byte which would fuel his own narrative. An environmental studies scientist, Professor Christine Hicks, who was also a part of the film mentioned that she loves the fishing industry a lot and has decided to not dwell into the details of the film. She, however, made her stand clear by highlighting the importance of fish in food and nutrition.

Marine Stewardship Council, which has been facing quite some backlash regarding its mention in the documentary, called out the makers especially for ridiculing the concept of sustainable fishing. They believe that that fish stocks can recover and replenish with time and there are a few living examples in the eco-system, at the moment. Have a look.

Image Courtesy: Still from YouTube (Netflix)