Conspiracy and Piracy: An Ecocritic View on Seaspiracy (2021)
Moza Gebrina Rizky S., 121811233125
mgebrina@gmail.com
“Seaspiracy” is a documentary film by Ali Tabrizi, gives wide insights about the industrial
scale of fishing. Countless efforts in order to prevent and repair the damage has been occurred.
Fishing that has been going to now, especially overfished, will affect to the ocean life including
inhabitants themselves. Fish cultivation that is in a small scale and not that dangerous, it is also
proven in the movie by showing that has no one ever expected before. By investigating deeper
regarding to the documentary film by Ali Tabrizi, it will reveal that how fishing industry in a
big scale is one of the most harmful activities has been done in the last decade, and also analyze
the effect of overfishing and misleading understanding on saving the oceans that is being
presented in the documentary movie. Qualitative approach and certainly Ecocriticism approach
analysis are being applied in this analysis in order to find out literal messages from the
documentary movie and analyze the issues to reveal and find out the answers of the effect of
overfishing in a big scale that being mentioned from the documentary.
Keyword: industrial scale, fishing, population, sea life, overfished.
Introduction
A life on Earth is immensely beautiful. The ecosystem on earth, indeed is actually
interacting between each other such as, human to animals, animals to sea, sea to atmosphere,
and so on, and interrelationship between them. The intertwining of those relationships, it
creates on each ecosystem that have existed on earth up to now. We all, life creatures need that
ecosystem to be occurred in our daily life, even in 24 hours non-stop. Thinking about how it
starts a perfect ecosystem, it also needs a perfect work between two creatures. Intentionally, it
would be perfect if both sides take it enough as resources. Nevertheless, in amount of times, in
recently, humans do not recognize that they are being greedy too much of taking resources
given on earth. One of many examples that is harmful is overfishing. Who would have thought
that fishing in a big scale is harmful for marine ecosystem for now and later in the future.
Fishing is actually okay but by adding the word over, everything that is related to over,
is not okay. In addition, overfishing is kind of illegal stuff and it is seriously one of the biggest
threats to the health of seas and their inhabitants. Another threat that we have known before to
the health of seas is the usage of straw and people tend to throw it away to the sea, knowing
that it brings major impact to inhabitants and the health of seas. Before we go further into the
analysis of this movie, this movie entitled “Seaspiracy”. A Netflix Original documentary movie
which was directed by Ali Tabrizi, has given wide insights about what does truly sea face for
years. For ordinary people, often to those people who rarely update to the situation of the sea,
will not be knowing what is actually going on, but still there are some truths that we do not
know before this movie presented to public. On the other side, there are controversy between
scientists, marine biologists, and people who are already eye-opened after watching this kind
of movie. Overfishing that we talk above before, according to (Murawski), in theory, extant
overfishing concepts can be expanded and provide an even greater variety of exploited and
non-exploited species, with systems presented to assess the increase in correlations that will
result from the involvement of more stocks.
In another statement, according to (Bhram Shakouri), overfishing reduces the ocean's
fish population to the point where there aren't enough to reproduce and regenerate the
population. As a result, when fishermen overfish, the fish stocks decreases, makes it much
easier to overfish the following year. Additionally, Overfishing can be defined or expressed in
terms of a minimum standard of spawning biomass, a highest level or rate of fishing mortality,
or a method, model, or other quantified standard designed to make sure the stocks' reproductive
capacity is maintained (Rosenberg 1993). Overfishing which Ali presents in the documentary
movie, will be damaging seagrass and its inhabitants if it is doing continuously for the future.
Here in the documentary movie, the main issues that will be talking about how industrial
fishing in a big scale is being portrayed in the documentary movie or also known as overfishing
and falsely or misleading information that presents in documentary video so that people are
being doctrined to stop eating and consuming seafood in order to save the ocean. The main
issue here, from Tabrizi side, he wants to try to save the oceans by stopping illegal fishing in a
big scale, but the problematic thing here is he asks to the viewers to not consuming seafood
and switch to plant-based diet. Additionally, some misleading information that he has given
through the documentary movie and website, become problematic so that critics from everyone
who search deeper about marine ecosystem, come to him. Even, some researches and scientists
feel that this documentary movie is harmful instead of informative ones to ordinary people
about fishing and other stuffs.
Research Objectives
By analyzing this documenter movie, the research objectives is to critically assess the
film regarding a certain issue. It presents through the movie how immensely dangerous illegal
industrial fishing in a big scale or it is known as overfishing and highlighting that giving up on
eating seafood is not the best solutions to the oceans to be saved. Some misleading information
that he has put through the documentary movie, is being highlighted. Therefore, in order to be
cleared and helped enough regarding to research objectives, Ecocriticism is being applied to
this analysis.
Method
In this analysis, the method that is being used is a descriptive and qualitative method.
The writer tries to collect the factual data by gathering and supporting journal articles, e-book,
and some factual information through website by reputable institutions in order to give wider
insights and different perspectives. The arguments regarding to Seaspiracy documenter movie,
will be immensely helped by collections data either from primary or secondary data.
Theory
As we analyzing this documentary movie entitled “Seaspiracy”, the theory that will be
used is Ecocriticism. Due to it is all about how the nature, sea, is being explained in this
analysis. Before we are going further, ecocriticism simply defined as a study of the relationship
between literature and physical environment (Fromm 1996). It is all about how nature is
interrelationship with literature. We also can see for wider perspective by using this theory.
Additionally, in another definition, according to (Feder), ecocriticism widened the concept of
the "world" to include all the entire ecosphere." We must consider taking this formulation a
step further: ecocriticism must extend our understanding of "the world" to include "the social."
Even though we aren't just the species that uses culture to change our environment, we are the
only one that is currently threatening the existence of many others. Therefore, it is necessary
for us to see deeper in order to not threatening the existence of many others, especially to
marine ecosystems which is really important for all living creatures.
Discussion
World has been changed, with its all development of technology, we get to update for
the latest situation from all around the world. In the last march of 2021, a filmmaker from
British, Ali Tabrizi, created an original documentary movie that released on Netfilx. The
documentary movie examines varieties impacts of humans to marine ecosystem, and implicitly,
through this movie he asked to people by ending eating and consuming seafood in order to save
the oceans. With the length 1h 29m, Tabrizi tried to elaborate one by one varieties of causes to
marine ecosystem. He said that, industry fishing in a big scale or overfishing with illegalness,
is one the causes why shark, dolphins, blue tuna will be getting extinct. As we know the aim
of this documentary movie created, on Tabrizi’s website that explains detailed about his movie,
it is clearly explained that switch to plant-based diet, execute no-catch marine reserves
protecting 30% of our oceans by 2030, fishing’s subsidies need to be ended. Additionally,
based on his website, https://www.seaspiracy.org/, there are several causes by 2048, the seas
will be empty without its inhabitants and marine ecosystem. First thing first because of, fishing
has eliminated 90% of the world’s large fish, fishing is the most dangerous threatening to
marine biodiversity, fishing operations kill 300,000 dolphins, whales, and porpoises each year,
every hour sharks are being killed 30,000 by fishing, in one day longline boats set enough
fishing line to wrap the earth 500x, 70% of macro plastic which is at sea, mostly comes from
fishing gear, plastic straws create only 0.03 number of the plastic attempting to enter the ocean,
bottom trawling bursts the same amount of carbon as air travel, each year, on the job 24,000
fisheries workers die, every year, the fishing industry receives $35 billion in subsidies, the
ebola epidemic was influenced by foreign fishing in West Africa, forced labor is confirmed in
47 countries in the seafood trade. As stated before, overfishing is dangerous and it is accepted
claim by scientists, overfishing reduces the ocean's fish population to the point where there
aren't enough to reproduce and regenerate the population. As a result, when fishermen overfish,
the fish stocks decreases, makes it much easier to overfish the following year. Additionally,
alternative pricing in the composition of global catch to species with lower economic values
have been confirmed, due largely to the capture of high-demand species even in their immature
stages. As the produce decreases, the prices of most fish species rise, making fish a less
accessible and affordable source for low-income people (Bhram Shakouri 2010).
Overfishing, especially if it is done illegally, it is very detrimental to many parties,
especially for people who live around the coast because their primary food is fish. Surprisingly,
in the documentary video, Tabrizi does not give another side to prevent the ocean’s fish
population. Indeed, well-management in order to increase the population, is being needed. We
have already shown that territories where fisheries are widely managed, stock availability is
greatly improving or keeping near fisheries management standard limits, and that the common
belief that fish stocks are falling globally will rely on the assessment's spatial and temporal
window. The crucial question is which methods will support to improve the condition of stocks
in areas where stocks are currently in bad condition. In doing so, we need to recognize what
management methods have did work in what social, economic, political, and biological
contexts; and why some stocks enhanced much quickly than others after fishing pressure was
reduced; and begin to understand how to categorize and formulate forms of fisheries
evaluations, management, and regulation in regions and countries where resources are currently
scarce. Lastly, we must acknowledge how to employ management approaches that transform
healthy stocks into long-term social and economic benefits for the fishing industry and
communities (Ray Hilborn 2020). Indeed, we actually need to understand the status and
management of fishery before it is being afraid of.
After we get to know that in the last decade that stock availability of fish population in
the ocean has improved significantly, as Tabrizi stated in the documentary movie that by 2048
ocean will be empty, it is false because we will not unless with well-management and the status
of fishing. Thousands of managers, scientists, fishermen, and nongovernmental organization
workers have contributed to increasing significantly fisheries status throughout much of the
developed world, and progressively in the developing world. Scientifically maintained and
measured fish stocks are growing or are already at or above stages which will provide a
sustainable long-term catch in many places. The main challenge now is to apply fisheries
science methods and sustainability to fisheries that have largely gone unassessed and
unmonitored (Ray Hilborn 2020). But still, overfishing is not something to be corrected to do
continuously, thus it brings another impact to those who live in the coast and low-income
people because they rely on seafood as primary source of food. The disintegration of global
fisheries is causing widespread concern, given the fact that an estimated 1.1 million people, in
some low-income countries, rely on fish as their main source of food. Fish accounts for
approximately 16% of all animal protein human consumption (Bhram Shakouri 2010).
Tragically, in the scenes from the documentary movie, many dolphins were killed in Taiji,
Japan. The people who work in Taiji, try to attract the dolphins and gather them in one place.
The reason why is because killing them, in order to get tuna, especially bluefin tuna in a large
quantity. In addition, why Taiji people kill dolphins in a large of number, according to (Project)
the main goal of the dolphin hunt provides dolphin meat to the Japanese people, despite the
fact that it is not widely known but only a very few of Japanese people eat it. Besides that, it is
informed that dolphins are hunted not only for their meat and for selling to the dolphinarium
industry, but also as a form of pest control. Dealing with the major challenge of overfishing as
a result of years of unsustainable trade practices, fishermen nowadays are blaming dolphins for
their exploitation of ocean resources. Fundamentally, dolphin is a part of marine ecosystem
and it brings major impacts from one marine creature to another. On the other side, in the scene
when Japanese person brings a weapon to kill many either dolphins or sharks, through this
documentary movie, gives illustration that Asians do kill these innocent animals as if they are
villains to either seafood lovers or ordinary people who do not know behind the scenes of it.
When we look closer to every scene of interviewer, it is not fair because most of the
interviewers are from white-people, only 1-2 person(s) who got involved to the interview.
Indeed, Tabrizi wants to give an understanding and insight to a lot of people to save the oceans
by saving and keeping our marine ecosystem of the earth individually, but for some people, it
tends to be false and misleading information by some of people.
Thus, it creates a controversy among them. The main question is, is that a thing to ask
people to be a vegan like him through his documentary movie so that through his movie, people
and he ask to work together and force for policy and rule changes, people are being scared and
guilty because of consuming seafood and being asked to save the oceans with its inhabitants
by stopping consuming seafood. Some people say that documentary movie is kind of a vegan
propaganda and written on his website, to switch plant-based diet. For some people, to not
consuming seafood anymore, is personal decision, but no matter what is going through, for
some people from the other side, will still continue consuming seafood as primary food. In
addition, (Sam) well-stated that, aquatic foods provide 20 percent of the animal protein
consumed by 3.3 billion people. To those low-income people, still prefer consume seafood,
especially to those who live in the coast.
Another misleading information that informed through the documentary movie is,
bycatch occurs in up to 40% of all catches. According to (R. W. D. Davies), Bycatch has
primarily been employed to describe the portion of the catch that is not targeted. The major
concern is that distinct judgements result in different perceptions of what is perceived a nontarget catch, particularly with the beginnings of fisheries in which no specific species emerges
to be prioritized. In addition, Bycatch tends to lead to an underestimation of the impact of this
often unmanaged, undocumented biomass removal on the marine environment. As a result, the
term "bycatch" as it is presently used has been rendered ineffective, raising concerns about its
usefulness, applicability, and relevance in today's fisheries. It is a fact that it brings harmful to
many parties, especially to marine ecosystem, but as long as the bycatch is not targeted to nonspecies threatened species, it is being accepted. On the other side, the number percentage given
in the documentary movie, is wrong. As stated above, up to 40% of all catches, in recent study,
according to (Dirk Zeller), until the year 2000, these levels of discarding displayed between
10% and 20% of total reconstructed catches per year; after that, discards account for possibly
a bit below 10% of average annual bycatch. The great majority of discards (around 93 percent
on average between 1950 and 2014) were decided to make by industrial (i.e. large-scale)
fisheries, with small-scale fisheries contributing even less to global discarding. Thus, it resulted
by recent study that between 10% - 20% has been discarded. How about consuming seafood?
Do we need to stop on consuming seafood? Is that the only way to save the oceans along with
its inhabitants? For several people, especially to those who already watched the documentary
movie, feel guilty seeing those innocent animals, are being killed in every single day just in
order to eat yummy seafood.
They actually realize that seafood is one of the most delicious meal has ever existed on
earth. Nevertheless, for some people, surrendering on consuming seafood, is not the best way
to save the oceans. Instead, consuming seafood, is the most essential source of protein.
According to (Stefan M. Pasiakos), chicken and beef were the two biggest animal protein food
classifications, taking into account for 26% of total protein consumption, 13% of total calcium
and vitamin d, and 5% of daily energy intake. When defined in terms of protein density, animal
protein sources were the most efficient source of dietary protein when compared to dairy and
plant-based protein sources (i.e., the amount of protein per 100 kcal). Foods containing animal
protein were twice as concentrated as food that contains plant protein. It is clearly explained
that seafood is a source of protein, and through this documentary movie too, seafood is being
cancelled in order to improve the better oceans. Meanwhile, for another better option that is
already available to save the oceans, by aquaculture. According to (Subasinghe 2013),
traditional and modern aquaculture, production intensity, and multiple kinds of integration. The
following definitions and their ambivalence are discussed with reference to small-scale
aquaculture (SSA): rural aquaculture, artisanal aquaculture, urban aquaculture, and finally
SSA. Small-scale aquaculture is defined by local farmers' aspirations, potential solutions for
small-scale smallholder farmers, and support mechanisms.
Alternate solution development strategies for the 'green revolution' and 'blue revolution'
are discussed. Traditional aquaculture is usually incorporated with other human influence
systems because, even before to the relatively recent manufacture and rapidly increasing use
of chemical fertilizers and pelleted feed, these were the only sources of nutritional inputs for
farmed aquatic organisms. The main difference between traditional and modern aquaculture is
that most aquaculture, small and large, can only really be stable in the context of modern
technology in order to be productive and thus socially and financially sustainable.
Unfortunately, there are some species that do not bring impacts to aquaculture. There are
undoubtedly serious issues with the farming of species such as salmon and prawns. The
industry has started to address these issues, but it is not rapidly moving sufficiently, and much
damage must be forgotten, such as the rehabilitation of mangroves demolished by prawn farms.
However, it should be noted that these are only a few of the species produced by aquaculture.
Farming herbivorous species has a really low impact on the environment, as does farming
shellfish such as oysters, mussels, and scallops. These shellfish farms help numerous different
species by sorting seawater and absorbing carbon. Multi-trophic aquaculture, in which fish,
shellfish, and seaweed are harvested together, has the potential to make aquaculture much more
stable. Similarly, shifting salmon and prawn farming to land-based closed-circulation systems
would decrease many environmental consequences (Kleinman 2021).
Conclusion
Ultimately, we can conclude that this documentary movie is trying to surprise a lot of
people by giving through facts and information, information that have not uploaded to public,
and some misleading information so that it creates a controversy to scientists and other
specialists on marine ecosystems. Unfortunately, in the documentary movie, the director itself
does not give to any solution in order to be a better marine ecosystem and as if he asks to
viewers to switch based-plant diet and stop consuming seafood in order to save the oceans.
Indeed, it is immensely needed a well-management in fisheries in order to stop overfishing.
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