A work of anti-fishing propaganda
Once again the fishing industry is in the position of defending its legitimate business activity in the face of a fresh onslaught from environmental non-governmental organisations designed to influence delegates to the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France from 9th-13th June.
The spearhead this time is a film, Ocean, made by Silverback and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, which appeared in cinemas on 8th May and in the UK will be broadcast on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu from 8th June.
Despite being voiced by someone who is regarded as a national treasure, and whose former association with the BBC means he is almost universally perceived as being impartial and unbiased, the film is a work of anti-fishing propaganda that wholly blames the industry for the poor state of the planet’s oceans.
Astonishingly, it singles out fishing from every other form of human impact on our seas, including climate change that is heating the planet and changing the seas, and ignores all other contributory factors such as pollution, litter (including plastic), seismic activities, subsea cables, shipping activity and the rapidly growing offshore wind industry (the impact of turbines on marine life is not yet fully understood due to lack of research).
It also omits to mention the necessity of protein-rich, healthy food to feed the planet, and fishing’s relatively low impact on greenhouse gas emissions when compared with other modes of food production.
Deploying the full panoply of Hollywood tearjerk techniques, from beautiful imagery to by turns uplifting and depressing music, and additional narration by individuals who give an unchallenged, one-sided perspective on a variety of case studies from around the world, it has been carefully crafted to damage the industry, providing no balance so that viewers can make up their own minds.
The film does pose questions of detail on (i) the impact of trawling and scallop dredging, (ii) the wider apparent benefits of no-take zones and (iii) the extent and nature of conservation effort.
Scottish fishermen have been committed to improving sustainability and sensible conservation measures for decades, because a sustainable industry depends on sustainable catching. It is due to the efforts of these fishermen that 70% of stocks in the North Sea and West of Scotland are fished sustainably. Yes, there is still more to do, but fishermen have made huge changes over the last 30 years to ensure we have stocks that are sustainable for the future. Ours is a very heavily regulated industry, and our focus in working with governments is to find the right balance between conservation and sustainable harvesting.
By providing jobs and income, a sustainable industry assures the future of many coastal and island communities that depend on seafood for their viability.
The SFF has been involved in the development of Scotland’s network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover 37% of Scotland’s waters, since its inception, and continues to engage closely with government on the formulation of additional rules and regulations within these areas.
Similarly, the industry is involved with a series of innovative projects designed to improve the selectivity of gear and reduce the impact of fishing methods on the marine environment, including for example the development of lighter scallop dredges.
For those who are genuinely interested, more detail on this work is available here:
However, no form of food production anywhere on the planet is without impact, as a glance at our farmed and grazed landscapes attests only too well. The unbalanced and unfair light shone on fishing in Ocean does a huge disservice to the skilled, knowledgeable and responsible men and women who make up our industry, and sadly is a wasted opportunity to inform the public.
