Every year, 2.7 trillion fish are taken from the seas, which is a staggering number by itself, but what if the greatest threat to marine life isn’t the plastics we discard but fishing itself?
Seaspiracy, Ali Tabrizi’s blunt Netflix documentary, challenges everything we know about ocean conservation and uncovers a crisis lurking below the waves.
Seaspiracy begins like any other ocean documentary, with the clichéed talk about plastic straws and beach cleanups. But it soon shifts the focus to an issue most big environment groups ignore: massive, huge-scale industrial fishing. With its raw, unfiltered footage and interviews with scientists, activists, insiders and former people in this industry, Tabrizi sets out to uncover this web of massive destruction.
One of the most distressing moments in the movie was the dolphin slaughter in Japan’s Taiji Cove, an activity justified as cultural tradition but exposed as a calculated effort to get rid of fish predators. Another part I found really sad was the whaling in the Faroe Islands, where they kill almost 700 whales of 1 species annually. In the documentary, this scene was very gory, with whales being kept on beaches, with their necks slit, and then the ones not fit for selling were kicked back into the water.
The film particularly emphasized on dolphins, whales, and turtles as bycatch. Think about this: when you go to an aquarium, and you see the dolphins dance, do you ever think of where they’ve come from?
For every 1 dolphin caught alive, 12 are killed. In addition to this, 6, out of the 7 seawater turtle species are vulnerable due to overfishing.
What sets Seaspiracy apart is the unapologetic exposure of environmental groups and labels, as well as fishing companies, which, according to Tabrizi, downplay the narrative to shift the focus on problems like plastic pollution and fossil fuel consumption, which, in comparison, is nothing.
Yet, Seaspiracy is not without its critics, with people saying that it has specifically cherry-picked data to fix its story. Others question the call to a plant based diet while suggesting sustainable fishing. These criticisms raise an important question: can we take steps in ocean conservation without villainising entire industries?
Despite its polarizing nature, Seaspiracy succeeds in sparking a global conversation. It forces viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and rethink their relationship with seafood. Whether or not you agree with all its conclusions, the documentary’s central message is clear: saving the oceans requires systemic change, not just individual actions.
What steps do you believe we, as individuals or as a society, can take to address the issues raised in Seaspiracy?
Do let me know in the comments!
Written by: Kapish
Loved ur writing…keep it up👍
Honestly ! It frustrates when we watch such documentaries and gives a helpless feeling… Oceans, forests, ozone layer, land everything, the disposal needs to evolve into sustainable practices. Personally, We've been talking about problems for a long long time,. It's high time we talk about solutions and actions and take data on what actions are being taken around the world. That'll give us some optimism and motivation for the much needed change
You’re absolutely right! These documentaries can leave us feeling overwhelmed, but they also serve as a wake-up call. Focusing on solutions and global actions is crucial—seeing tangible progress can inspire and empower us to contribute. Maybe a shift in narrative from just problems to proactive solutions could make the message more hopeful. What solutions or examples of positive change do you think deserve more attention? Let’s talk about what’s working!
We do need change in the fishing industry! Comercial fishing is *ruining* the marine ecosystem and fishes' lives are at stake. Eliminating intake of fish isn't an option but what we do need are strict laws and rules that need to be followed
Thanks a lot!
You're absolutely right—thank you for sharing your thoughts! Stricter laws and enforcement are definitely crucial to protecting marine life while allowing sustainable fishing. Eliminating fish intake isn’t realistic for everyone, but responsible regulations can make a huge difference. Do you think global agreements would work better, or should individual countries take the lead on stricter policies?
First of all, this piece is really impressive. I really like the presentation and I think you have summed up the documentary to every minute detail. What I would like to say is that, even though I, personally think fishing should be limited to a certain extent, there are 8 BILLION PEOPLE in the world. That's alot of mouths to feed. The workers are killing the fish to make money and a living (even though some are enslaved which is horrible). But in coastal cities or countries where farming can't be done due to urbanisation or other reasons, fish are a necessity and without the big big volumes of the, in the millions and millions of tons, we still can't feed the world's population, so we are reduced to this, which is sad, but it's the reality of it all, nothing we can do, nothing governments can either, so that point should be kept in mind
Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your perspective! You bring up a really important point—fishing is not just an industry, but also a lifeline for millions of people, especially in coastal regions where alternatives are limited. The balance between sustainability and feeding a growing population is definitely a tough challenge. Maybe the focus should be on improving fishing practices rather than just reducing them. Do you think innovations like sustainable aquaculture or stricter regulations on industrial fishing could help bridge this gap?