The End of the Line

by Catherine Delahunty

This great documentary was launched at the Paramount last night by a coalition of environmental groups (ECO, Forest and Bird, WWF and Greenpeace). The audience received a fish and chip packet with lots of great guides on buying sustainable fish as well as a chocolate fish. Restaurateur Al Brown from “Logan Brown” was present at the raffle of his good fish cook book “Go Fish”

“The End of the Line” was beautifully shot, had great music and was well described as an “environmental snuff movie’. Where have all the fish gone in the sea? We have eaten them!

The panel discussion that followed was lively because one of people in the film who was claiming fish stocks are less depleted than others were claiming was in the audience. He said that recent research states that NZ has well managed fisheries which beat many countries described in the film. This claim was refuted by the panel that were well aware of the global research on 19 NZ fish stocks out of the 600 species and the fact that orange roughy was not included in the study.

There was also good discussion on the credibility of the Marine Stewardship Certification of fish stocks and also a lone tangata whenua voice calling for dialogue with indigenous fishers who have sustained their local fisheries for generations.

I recommend this film, which will be part of the documentary film festival in Wellington this month. It’s true that my daughter is the NZ distributor but even if she wasn’t I would recommend you see it. It reminded me how fabulous and mysterious the ocean species are and how crazy we are to destroy it.

Consumer power is critical in this campaign for our own food sources as well as the integrity of the fish species!

Greenpeace Red Fish List

Forest & Bird Best Fish Guide