Seaspiracy: A Deep Dive Into the Fishing Industry

Yellowfin tuna, one of many species harmed by overfishing. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nmfs_northwest/14981581864

Ali Tabrizi’s Seaspiracy is a striking reminder to reconsider where our food originates, though the film’s execution may affect its accuracy.

The 2021 Netflix documentary, Seaspiracy, follows director and narrator Ali Tabrizi as he explores suspicious and dangerous activity within the fishing industry firsthand. During his travels, ranging from large company headquarters to suspicious fishing operations to whaling sites, Tabrizi unravels a devastating scene and examines what it takes to put seafood on people’s plates. In this process, he reveals numerous cases of mistreatment of both wildlife and workers. 

Tabrizi’s overarching claim is that his audience should avoid consuming fish to limit large-scale environmental degradation. He expresses how current harvesting practices and corruption leave virtually no part of the world safe from their adverse effects. In the end, he argues that there is no entirely sustainable fishing model. 

While the film has been criticized for its rhetorical strategies, exaggeration and misinformation, the initial shock of watching the film could push many people to reconsider their diets. Tabrizi is not wrong that the fishing industry is harmful to marine life and the workers at fisheries. The film’s claim is supported by additional studies.

For instance, according to The Society of Conservation Biology, the total reported global bycatch of marine turtles from 1990 to 2008 was about 85,000. This number is likely a low estimation due to the existence of smaller fisheries with less bycatch information. Along with bycatch, Tabrizi also illuminates the existence of exploitation. According to the World Wildlife Fund, “eighty-five percent of the world’s fisheries are either fully exploited or overfished.”

A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences also revealed that between 14% and 26% of fishing vessels were at high risk for forced labor. Harvesting has an adverse affect on both the wildlife and workers.

While there is some truth to his documentary, it is no secret that Tabrizi is making a claim. From the dramatic music choices to the extensive shots of bloody water and gory animal death to the alarming, sometimes inaccurate statistics about waste and pollution, the film’s primary goal is to persuade audiences to limit fish consumption. 

One of Tabrizi’s main points is that Dolphin Safe tuna labels do not accurately reflect the practices of the fisheries producing that tuna. He says this is due to irregular assessments, bias and bribery. According to a 2014 case study by a team from Oxford, reported purchase levels decreased significantly when Dolphin Safe and organic labels were removed from products. This suggests that the labels have a strong marketing purpose, rather than an ethical one. While companies could use Dolphin Safe labels to increase buyers, this does not inherently translate to a corrupt process of assigning labels. 

Mark Palmer is an executive with the organization that manages the Dolphin Safe label: the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP), which is operated by the Earth Island Institute. He was quoted in Tabrizi’s film and later said in an interview with The Guardian that the context of his quote was removed and his responses were inaccurately presented. Director of IMMP David Phillips in a statement by Earth Island Institute also said, “The dolphin-safe tuna program is responsible for the largest decline in dolphin deaths by tuna fishing vessels in history.” 

Seaspiracy is somewhat alarmist and gets parts of the story wrong, yet it managed to effectively steer me away from fish consumption. Since watching this film for the first time, I have not sought out fish for any meal due to the strong rhetoric of Tabrizi’s film. This is a privileged position to be in, though. According to the World Wildlife Fund, “More than 3 billion people in the world rely on wild-caught and farmed seafood as a significant source of animal protein.” They cannot simply eliminate seafood from their diets. 

While Tabrizi’s film does not encompass the entire story, viewers can still use it as a starting point before researching further and reconsidering what they are eating. Cutting seafood intake could be the crucial first step in reducing the impact of fishing.