Author Archive for Editor
- Following the news that China Tang will not be serving shark fin soup, we have stop collecting names to send to the restaurant. You can read our latest news here.
China Tang, the restaurant located in The Dorchester hotel run by Sir David Tang, has come under fire for allegedly selling shark fin soup.
Conservationist and film maker Lord Antony Rufus-Issacs says that he was offered the soup, which was not on the menu, when he dined at the restaurant last week. He has written to Sir David asking him to stop serving shark fin soup, after seeing The End of the Line.
In his letter, he said: “I have seen the film [The] End on the Line and was deeply effected [sic] by it as were so many people. I am writing to you as a result of seeing the film.”
China Tang has subsequently claimed that this was a ‘mistake’ by staff, and that they took shark fin soup off the menu months ago due to ethical concerns.
Shark fin soup is contentious as the fins are often ‘harvested’ by cutting the fins off live sharks that are then thrown back into the sea to bleed to death.
Shark fin soup is traditionally eaten on special occasions, such as weddings, in Chinese society. It is regarded as a status symbol due to the cost of the fins and has to be flavoured with stock as the fins themselves have little or no taste.
The End of the Line campaign abhors the practice of shark-finning and calls on China Tang to not serve the soup. We have compiled an email to send to China Tang, expressing your concern and asking them not to sell it.
You can view our protest over shark fin soup here.
All of this week’s coverage of The End of the Line comes from the United States and Canada - apart from one mention in The London Standard.
Charles Clover is interviewed about the film by Katherine Monk in Canada’s National Post. He tells her: “You people in Canada have already seen what happens to communities and the ecosystem when you fish out a given species.
“The reality of overfishing became obvious with the collapse of the northern cod stocks in Newfoundland. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans screwed up.
“They thought their job was taking care of the fishery, and not the fish. You have to take care of the fish first, because without the fish to catch, there is nothing for the people - and this was a bit of a revelation.” Continue reading ‘Canadian media dominates this week’s coverage of The End of the Line’
The buzz about the film continues apace, with more articles and reviews about The End of the Line, including coverage from the Washington Post, Reuters and The Guardian.
First up, a sign that the fishing industry is taking notice of The End of the Line, Young’s Seafood, part of the Findus Group, is welcoming the film.
James Turton, group director of sustainability and corporate affairs, says: “This is an impactful, well-made documentary and we welcome its intent to highlight the vital importance of protecting the world’s fish resources and its call for consumers to choose sustainable seafood.”
The Washington Post’s Kim O’Donnel writes about the film on the Mighty Appetite blog. She says: “Several years ago, at one of the first sustainable seafood press conferences I had attended, one of the panelists said something that remains etched in my memory: “The oceans belong to all of us, whether or not we eat fish.”
“EOTL doesn’t just hint at this sentiment; it screams and shouts and urges you to wake up and smell the plankton.” Continue reading ‘Fishing industry is taking notice of The End of the Line’
The End of the Line’s half an hour of fame on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square yesterday proved to be a great success.
It generated plenty of interest from the public, prompting many to attend the evening screening of the film at the Prince Charles Cinema.
Oliver Parsons-Baker on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, promoting The End of the Line
As part of the One&Other project Oliver Parsons-Baker took his place on the Fourth Plinth at 10.30am dressed in a giant fish costume, which attracted many curious looks from passers by.
Members of the film team chatted to the public about the film, handing out MCS pocket fish guides and WWF sustainable fish recipe books. Continue reading ‘Fishy business on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square’
The End of the Line continues to make waves in the movie world - it has now been selected to be part of filmmaker Michael Moore’s exclusive Traverse City Film Festival.
Michael personally selects the film’s that will screen at the festival. He has seen The End of the Line, and apparently, he loves it.
The festival takes place between 28th July and 2nd August, in Traverse City, Michigan, and last year over 70 films were screened. The End of the Line is showing at the Lars Hockstad Auditorium on Wednesday 29th July at 3:00pm.
Back in the UK the film’s run at the Odeon, Panton Street, London has been extended for another seven days until Thursday 9th July, making it an amazing four consecutive weeks it will have been shown there.
This means that over the coming week The End of the Line will be screened over 35 times in London, with dates also being added at Notting Hill and Islington.
Panton Street Odeon will continue to show the film four times a day at 2:40pm, 4:45pm, 6:50pm and 8:55pm.
The other confirmed screenings are:
- Gate Picturehouse, Notting Hill on Friday 3rd, Tuesday 7th, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th July.
- Screen on the Green, Islington Friday 3rd, Sunday 5th, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th July.
- Prince Charles Cinema on Tuesday 7th July, with an introduction by Claire Lewis, Producer of The End of the Line.
For those who live outside London, do not despair - there are countrywide bookings coming up, please keep an eye on the website or email your post code to , so we can let you know when the film reaches your area.
The End of the Line will also be appearing in Trafalgar Square, on the Fourth Plinth, as part of the One&Other Project. See ‘The End of the Line to appear on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth‘ for details.
The empty Fourth Plinth at Trafalgar Square
The End of the Line is going to appear on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square!
Well, in reality Oliver Parsons-Baker, Senior Water Quality Advisor for Severn Trent Water, will stand on the Fourth Plinth on Tuesday 7th July, dress as a fish to promote the important issues contained in The End of the Line as part of the One&Other Project.
The project, in partnership with Sky Arts, is the brainchild of artist Antony Gormley, famed for his 20ft-high Angel of the North sculpture that overlooks the A1, near Newcastle.
He is asking 2,400 people to occupy the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square for one hour each between 6th July and 14th October 2009. So far nearly 15,000 people have applied for one of the 2,400 hour long slots.
Oliver will be standing on the Fourth Plinth between 10am and 11am on Tuesday 7th July. He will spend the first 30 minutes publicising the work that Water Aid does, and the second half an hour dressed as a fish, promoting The End of the Line. Continue reading ‘The End of the Line to appear on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth’
All of the news on The End of the Line for the past week has been from outside the UK, coming from far afield as Australia and Japan.
Writing for the Food Detective column in The Australian, Michelle Rowe says: “A harrowing new documentary predicting the demise of seafood by 2048, and the imminent extinction of the endangered southern bluefin tuna, has seen international celebrities rally to protect the world’s fish supplies.”
Japanese blog Choices for Tomorrow, carries an article in both English and Japanese in their Changes around the world section. They will also be running an interview with Claire Lewis, Producer of The End of the Line, in the next issue.
The Philadelphia Examiner reports on Ted Danson’s support of the film. Debbie Jordan writes: “Watch the videos; check to see if there will be a screening of the film, “The End of the Line,” in your area; if not, ask your local theatres to get the film and show it; and check the website of Oceana.org for more information on how you can help save the fish, the planet, and the human race.”
While The Philadelphia Weekly’s review, by Matt Prigge, praises the look and feel of the film and he awards it a B-. “Director Rupert Murray (Unknown White Male) also did the lensing duties, and his film is a good deal more handsome and visually striking than your average doc.
“At times The End of the Line feels less like a documentary than a conspiracy thriller, which in a way it is . . . . the film smartly diagnoses the chief problems as overfishing and cheerful law-breaking.”
Nashville Scene blog also has a review of the film, which is running as part of the Belcourt Theatre’s Food on Film series. Carrington Fox says: “Murray lays out a chilling argument that seafood could be a thing of the past as early as 2048.
“As moviemaking, The End of the Line is Discovery Channel standard-issue bolstered by fine undersea footage - but its message of impending crisis will leave its hooks in you.”
The Passionate Foodie carries a very positive review of the film, which says: “You may not realise which fish are in danger and could thus be unwittingly contributing to their demise. More knowledge about this issue should be spread.
“To help disseminate the word, a new independent documentary, The End of The Line, has recently been released, explaining the dire problem of overfishing.”
Following the success of the UK and US releases of The End of the Line we want to know what you thought of the film and the campaign, so we are launching a reviews competition.
If you’ve seen the film, what did you think of it? Has it made you re-consider your attitude to seafood?
Were you aware of the vast problems caused by overfishing - to both life in the ocean and the communities that depend on it - that are happening everyday around the world?
What did you think of the film as a piece of cinema? How did you feel about it as art? Did it work or not?
Did you believe the science, or do you feel it missed areas out? Has it made you want to get involved with the campaign?
We want to know what you thought - so please tell us, whether you loved it or hated it, whether it motivated you or left you cold.
We would like you to write a review of the film and send it to us. We will publish the best ones and offer an as-yet-undisclosed-but-related-to-the-film prize for the best three. Please include your name, location and contact details with your review and send them to .
If you want to know what the rest of the media thinks about The End of the Line, have a look at our reviews round-up.
There have been many articles and reviews featuring The End of the Line this week following the film’s release in the United States on 19th June.
Entertainment Weekly’s review of the film says: “Fishermen are no longer simply ”fishing.” They’re subjecting threatened species to the equivalent of carpet bombing, and this passionate ecological documentary, The End of the Line, spells out the problem in clear, urgent, prosaic terms.”
Twilight Greenaway, writing for The Ethicurean, suggests that the film missed one point that would help sustain life in the oceans - eating less fish. She went on to say: “Since seeing the film, the possibility of thriving oceans once again full of wild fish of all colours and sizes seems ever more compelling.
“With that image in my mind, giving up most seafood — seeing it as a rare treat, as Mark Bittman wrote recently in the New York Times — until then doesn’t felt like much of a sacrifice.” Continue reading ‘News and blogs round up for The End of the Line’
Following the success of the UK screenings on the 8th June and the film’s official cinema release, The Odeon, Panton Street, London, has confirmed that it is to show The End of the Line for a third consecutive week. Members of the film team will be doing Q&A sessions at some screenings.
Claire Lewis, Producer of the End of the Line and Willie MacKenzie, from Greenpeace’s Oceans Campaign, will be hosting a Q&A at Panton Street Odeon on Friday 26th June.
Claire, along with Rupert Murray, Director of The End of the Line, will be doing another Q&A at the Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Place, off Leicester Square, London, on Sunday 28th June. Continue reading ‘Latest screening and Q&A details for The End of the Line’
The End of the Line has still been receiving plenty of coverage following its UK release and in the run up to its US launch. Here we bring together the latest news and a few older pieces that slipped through the net.
The Guardian covers the film and the issue of fish stocks again. In the Environment section, Felicity Lawrence, writes: ”The supermarkets have increased their targets for sustainable fish, and The End of the Line’s film release has prompted a flurry of announcements – most notably from M&S and Pret a Manger – to move even faster . . . .
“There is reason to hope that fish stocks can still recover, but we need to keep asking for sustainable catches. Keep the pressure up.” Continue reading ‘The End of the Line coverage following the film’s UK release’
The official cinema release of The End of the Line has led to further coverage of the film. Here we round up the latest reviews.
The Observer review of The End of the Line
Next time someone tells you there are plenty more fish in the sea, refer them to this alarming documentary. Jason Solomons, 14 June 2009.
The Telegraph review of The End of the Line
This new documentary starring former Telegraph environment editor Charles Clover is a powerful and troubling indictment of global fishing policies. 4/5 stars, Sukhdev Sandhu, 11 June 2009.
The Guardian review of The End of the Line
Doing something about [overfishing] means politicians imposing catch-limits or complete bans, and the consumer turning away from wastefully farmed fish and demanding sustainable stocks. Murray’s film is clear-sighted about the tough choices involved. 4/5 stars, Peter Bradshaw, 12 June 2009.
The Times review of The End of the Line
Rupert Murray’s forceful documentary The End of the Line should do for our oceans what An Inconvenient Truth did for climate change - that is, stamp the issue into the public consciousness and shame governments around the world into at least talking about doing something. 4/5 stars, Wendy Ide, 11 June 2009. Continue reading ‘The End of the Line film reviews’
Following the announcement by Pret a Manger chief, Julian Metcalfe, that he was taking tuna caught in unsustainable ways out of sandwiches and sushi, supermarket chain Marks and Spencer has claimed that it is switching to using pole and line caught tuna in its entire food range.
Greta Scacchi and her daughter Leila sitting with Alan Rickman, his wife Rima and Colin Firth at the aftershow party for The End of the Line
Both announcements follow screenings of the film, The End of the Line, based on a book by the environmental journalist, Charles Clover, which highlights the problems facing the largest tuna species, the bluefin. Continue reading ‘M&S bans unsustainable tuna after The End of the Line opens across the country’
The End of the Line film asks that consumers should choose only sustainable seafood - which means, first and foremost, that they agree to avoid eating actively endangered species, for example, the bluefin and bigeye tunas and the common skate.
Dear Chef / Restaurant Owner seafood response card
To help communicate this message to chefs and restaurant owners that we want to buy only sustainable seafood, we have drawn up a downloadable leaflet which can be printed easily on a single sheet of A4 so customers can let restaurants know what they think of the seafood on a restaurant’s menu after dining there.
Carry it with you when you go out to dinner.
The leaflet says: As a customer it is essential to me that you sell seafood that is not caught or farmed in ways that damage the ocean or its species.
It enables customers to rate the restaurant, by ticking one of the following options:
- I notice that some of the seafood you serve is caught or farmed in ways that is likely to harm the ocean and the wildlife in it
- Thank you for offering sustainable seafood. I look forward to recommending your business to my family and friends.
The card is then left after the meal, or with the bill.
This week has seen a dramatic increase in the coverage for The End of the Line and related fishing issues in the run up to the World Ocean Day Screenings.
Many of the national daily papers have covered the film or the Nobu decision to continue selling bluefin tuna - a subject brought into the spotlight by The End of the Line campaign and Greenpeace.
In an extensive comment piece for The Independent, Johann Hari, asks whether we will be the generation that runs out of fish.
He writes: “In the babbling Babel of 24/7 news . . . the slow-motion stories that will define our age are often lost. An extraordinary documentary released next week, The End of the Line, forces us to stop, and see.”
The Telegraph reports that Sienna Miller, Charlize Theron, Jemima Khan, Woody Harrelson, Laura Bailey, Alicia Silverstone, Zac Goldsmith, Sting and his wife Trudie Styler have jointly written to Nobu asking him to remove bluefin tuna from the restaurant’s menus, so they can “dine with a clear conscience”.
The Sun also carries the story saying: “Sienna Miller blasted a top London restaurant for putting endangered bluefin tuna on its menu.” Continue reading ‘The End of the Line focuses spotlight on celebrity reaction to bluefin tuna on Nobu menu’
