Seaspiracy's review: What is the documentary about? Why are people criticising it?

Seaspiracy is a 2021 documentary, which focuses on the diverse effects on the environment due to excess fishing, directed by and starring Ali Tabrizi, a British filmmaker. The movie received a positive response but also received flak and criticism from various viewers. Take a look at Seaspiracy's review here.

Seaspiracy's review

What is Seaspiracy about? The documentary features the effects of plastic marine debris and the ill effects of overfishing around the world. The documentary debates that commercial fisheries are one of the main components of marine ecosystem destruction. Seaspiracy rejects the notion of sustainable fishing and scrutinises several marine conservation organisations, including the Earth Island Institute and its dolphin-safe label, and the sustainable seafood certifications of the Marine Stewardship Council, arguing these initiatives are a conspiracy to benefit the fishing industry.

Seaspiracy fact check

Pic Credit: Stills from the movie

The documentary has made many claims regarding the fishing industries which have been receiving backlash from experts. The Marine Steward Council released a lengthy statement in response to the claims made in the movie. MSC, in their response to  'There is no such thing as sustainable fishing' have written: "This is wrong. One of the amazing things about our oceans is that fish stocks can recover and replenish if they are managed carefully for the long-term".

Futher talking about how sustainable fishing helps, the institute wrote, "While we disagree with much of what the Seaspiracy documentary-makers say, one thing we do agree with is that there is a crisis of overfishing in our oceans. However, millions around the world rely on seafood for their protein needs. With the global population set to reach 10 billion by 2050, the need to harness our natural resources more responsibly is more urgent than ever. Sustainable fishing has a vital role to play in securing those resources".

Seaspiracy Criticism

Many viewers have left their opinion about the documentary on Twitter and various other social media platforms. Dr Bryce Stewart, a marine ecologist, wrote in a thread on the microblogging site that the movie did highlight various important issues but it was highly misleading.

The Indigenous Anarchist Federation tweeted that the harm caused to the ocean that was shown in the movie was due to Capitalism and that small indigenous tribes like them carry out fishing ethically in their ancestral waters.

One of the viewers wrote on Twitter that the movie has caused collateral damage and is hurting the work of the hardworking activist.

Source: Seaspiracy's Twitter