I write this while looking out over the sea at Cape Cod realising that it is here along this coast that we humans have done the most damage to fish stocks.
Cod is the history of this coast and its people. It is utterly beautiful here in Provincetown where The End of the Line is being screened as part of the their film festival.
Despite wind and rain - yes, like the UK - this is a community that was founded on fishing bounty. It now lives on tourism.
My co-speaker at the Q&A was Owen Nicols, a young man who was born and bred here in Provincetown. He is studying for a PHD in Fisheries Science and works at the local Oceans Institute.
He works with local fishermen day in and day out and he believes that the only way forward is to work alongside the fishermen to convince them about good sustainable fishing practice.
He says that because he comes from their community, and goes out with them on a daily basis, they will listen to him.
He says it is the big industrial vessels that have devastated the coastline by hoovering up the stocks and leaving nothing for the little guys.
The same story the world over. The story of The End of the Line.
I leave this beautiful spot after the film’s second screening and fly to New York for the opening screening of its cinema release in Greenwich Village, New York. That is a historic moment for us in the fish team - London last week, New York tomorrow.
I have not seen the film yet but are there stories of success such as the fish management and no catch zones in New Zealand. I came from Samoa and it very sad to see all the bountiful fish I knew as a kid disappear when I returned recently.
Thanks for bringing such an issue to the public… I witness the appetite for fish when sushi restaurants are up on every corner in New York City.
What crap! The cape is loaded with fish. Got a nice tuna last week and will be back out this weekend to get some more sushi!!
I have just asked my local cinema to get this film and they are looking into it. I just saw Food, Inc. last night and am eager to see The End Of The Line as well.
To Jeff, who wants to believe that there are ample fish in the sea, I feel ya. However there are huge floating factories crawling the oceans and sucking fish out at an unprecedented rate. Horribly, not all that are caught and killed are used. Yes, there are fish that are ok to eat. But there is a problem, and I guarantee that if you will make an effort to find out the truth and do something to make a difference, you will feel even better.
To people who may be worried about the idea that it is difficult to fight huge and impersonal corporations, please don’t allow worry to paralyze you. As an American consumer, you have enormous power. Not buying or using products that are made (or farmed or fished) in an irresponsible way is an incredibly powerful act. Gently convincing others to follow your example increases that power. Change is happening already, and more is on the way, so there is no reason for despair!