The End of the Line

Release Date (UK) - 12 June 2009

Certificate (UK) - PG

Country - UK

Director - Rupert Murray

Runtime - 86 mins

Based on a book by Charles Clover this interesting and frightening documentary explores current fishing practices and consumption, alarmingly suggesting if we carry on the way we are currently then we will run out of fish very soon.

Focusing mainly on tuna stocks several analysts and experts present their view of how badly over-fishing over the past few decades has affected fish numbers. The film shows how fisherman are ignoring fishing limits and the affects that over-fishing can have on the eco-system. Some of the fishing scenes are shocking and as a pescetarian I did have to shut my eyes occasionally. I did tuck in to some Scampi last night without thinking about its source but think I will be buying only MSC approved fish from now on.

The film also follows Charles Clovers own quest to get celebrity restaurant Nobu to remove Bluefin tuna from the menu, so far not successful although they have now added a note to the menu saying this is an endangered species. However several sandwich makers have announced removing certain tuna products or changing suppliers in response to this film.

I couldn't help comparing this to the recent Age of Stupid which suggests that we'll have completely ruined the whole of the planet by 2055 which makes a lack of fish by 2048 seem almost irrelevant. The screening I went to was followed by a Q & A with the director Rupert Murray and a Greenpeace representative and the most interesting point was made by Rupert's local MP and was that at the moment the only people contacting their MP's to express their views on the situation are fisherman, so there local views are the only ones being expressed in Parliament currently.