As the world's demand for fish and other seafood increases and the technology available to commercial fisherman becomes more sophisticated, the annual harvest from global seaports has grown tremendously in recent years. However, the rise of industrialized fishing has not come without consequences, and many environmentalists and oceanographers believe that the current demand for fish and the methods used to fulfill it are taking an irreparable toll on the world's oceans, with some speculating
that the seas could be literally fished-out by 2048 if current trends do not change. Filmmaker Rupert Murray offers an in-depth look at the crisis in the world's oceans in the documentary End of the Line, in which experts discuss some of the key factors behind the looming shortage -- increased demand for endangered species, irresponsible methods employed by major fishing lines, lax enforcement of current regulations -- and what can be done to head off the famine before it's too late. End of the Line was an official selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
This movie wants to cover every base without thinking very deeply about them. So while a lot of ground is covered in 80 brisk minutes, the information presented is only abstractly useful.
It's hard not to feel that the vital information in The End of the Line may have been more effectively relayed by Clover's original book or by a movie whose methods were less pedantic and pedestrian.
As the final credits roll you feel like you've been on an emotional rollercoaster -- the same as you might if you'd just watched a moderately successful Hollywood disaster movie.
Revelations about the tonnes of wasted sealife caught and discarded annually and the destructive effects of practices such as bottom-trawling, are head-spinning in their immensity.
There are an irritating number of fish and ocean montages with plaintive music which makes the film longer than it need be, but there's no denying the impact of its content.
After watching this movie, I'm giving up seafood for Lent ... even though I'm not Catholic. Thankfully this movie provides things we can do now to make a difference. So why don't we?
Great visuals and music as usual, National Geographic! However, I wish this movie talked more about bycatch. People care more about dead dolphins, sharks, octopi, etc. Not to give fish less credit, because I love them and went veg because of fish, but you have to market what people care about too.
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