Most of us still remember Conspiracy having its moment in 2014 when for the first time animal farming and most specifically  beef production impacts were documented for a huge online public. I can still remember learning about it in high school and our class attempting to decrease our meat intake during the week to only once or twice rather than a daily intake. After the documentary I heard from friends working within the fashion industry that whole departements in the likes of Dior, had collectively become vegetarian. The education shared within the documentary created a post-release ripple effect which continues to be relevant today.

Seven years later the same Cowpiracy producer Kip Andersen who has also produced What The Health, and Sea of Life has returned to Netflix with a new documentary has a new project. This project directed by Ali Tabrizi outlines the environmental harms and potentially life threatening long-term effects created by industrial fishing. 

In recent conversations Seaspiracy is an unavoidable buzz word. Once again a documentary has brought to light indisputable evidence that commercial fishing methods are damaging our oceans and ocean life. Not only this but equally that ocean conservation and wildlife protection organisations such as Dolphin Safe are being hypocritical in their message. The documentary shows they are aware of their lack of action against the industrial fishing nets catching bycatch including turtles, sharks, dolphins, and many more. The lack of action means they not only accomplices but also aiding in hiding the facts through their licensing of the logo. 

This is not an blog made to outline the main points presented by the documentary, although I do highly recommend watching it. The blog aims to continue the efforts in increasing audience awareness surrounding the fishing industry as well as process and reflect on current situation we are in.

Watching the documentary I was shocked. I believed myself to have an understanding of the fishing industry which I had gained through online environmental conservation articles and my IB education in Environmental Sciences, yet, nothing compared to the level of destruction and harm portrayed in the documentary currently impacting our oceans. The worst part was seeing the alliances formed between the fishers and marine life conservation organisations to keep the information out of public knowledge. 

 I see how oceans, plastics, fishing, wildlife conservation, sustainability all relevant and important topics to address have lost their meaning and impact due to overuse and informational saturation. The documentary was released on Netflix, therefore the intentions of eduction V.S entertainment may lack cohesiveness. 

The ‘buzz word’ effect has lead to a lot of that information being ignored or criticised. I agree that all information should be questioned to ensure the credibility of a source, yet this should not serve as an excuse to live in denial. Even Marie Claire Magazine was able to present a nuanced argument presenting both the most important information represented within the documentary as well as an opposing argument by marine biologist by Bryce Stewart.  

“Does it highlight a number of shocking & important issues? Absolutely. But is it misleading at the same time? Yes. It regularly exaggerates & makes links where there aren’t any. Many of the scenes were clearly staged and I know that at least one of the interviewees was taken out of context. I feel this film does more harm than good.” - Bryce Stewart

Along with Bryce Stewart’s comments, the Guardian equally put into question the validity of statistics as well as sharing that interviewees felt they were misrepresented. The claims have lead to some backlash against the film as viewers are unsure which information source to trust.

Information about the ocean is saturated, and certain facts may lack further research, as  Bryce Stewart has written, it does highlight important issues and this is what we should focus on. Greenpeace made a similar point stating that although the documentary is not 100% reliable, “Seaspiracy does however make some important points and there is no doubt that the oceans are in big trouble.”

The documentary emphasises the importance of decreasing fish consumption, but Greenpeace states, ”if we want to change things at the speed we need to, we must put pressure on global governments to change the way we treat the ocean. The ocean doesn’t have time to wait for every individual to go vegan.” Although a saturated area of information, ocean conservation articles and films seem to speak in unison when saying that the public should take a stand for the respect of our oceans and marine life conservation. This can be done through the reduction of fish intake as well as substituting ocean fish for lake fish. Signing petitions and donating money to positive organisations is equally a form of action. Our Earth is a closed ecosystem meaning that it contains all the elements within its closure to sustain life, the ocean is a critical part of our ecosystem to survive. This is a thought worth reflecting. 

What about fashion ?

Your choice of purchase is part of your voice as a consumer. The consumer can invest in brands which share their values to continue to support a chosen cause.  

Smaller businesses like ‘Girlfriend collective’ sportswear has an eco-friendly message. A pair of black sports leggings contain the plastic of 25 recycles water bottles, yet maintain its high standards for garment performance and ‘chic’ aesthetic.

ECONYL® yarn is a specifically sporty material which is environmentally conscious and remains of designer level quality. Their product has no waste and is regenerated nylon. The company has contributed to major clean ups and is a ideal example of creating circular fashion for a sustainable approach to production. They have been used by sportswear brands such as Repainted Swimsuits, and Adidas swimwear as well as luxury designer houses such as Gucci, Stella McCartney, Richard Malone,  all employing ECONYL® yarn within their collections. 

Prada equally joined this environmentally conscious production creating a ‘Prada Re-Nylon’ project. All nylon pieces in Prada have now been made with sustainability at its core. They too have sources fabric from ECONYL® who they describe on their website as “yarn is made of recycling discarded plastic that has been collected from landfill sites and oceans across the whole planet. “ 

Positive fashion which neither compromises style or quality is growing in demand and popularity. Shopping sustainable gets easier every year as customers continue to demand it from their favourite brands. Realise how far we’ve come already and how much better things could get. Selfridges has been collaborating with the Zoological Society of London to take a stand for ocean conservation. Project Earth selects all the sustainable, up cycled, cruelty-free items which can be purchased while with Selfridges. It equally allows customers ‘rent, repair, and shop pre-loved.’ Fashion has a force fighting for non-harmful production and as consumers we should continue to support this movement and stand by our oceans.

Sustainability and ocean preservation aren’t just buzz words, they real threats to human life. In future decisions, consider your choices and the values you stand for.

https://www.msc.org/what-you-can-do/eat-sustainable-seafood/10-sustainable-seafood-trends-2021

https://www.econyl.com

https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/ocean-waste-sustainable-fashion-brands

https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/seaspiracy-734034

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/31/seaspiracy-netflix-documentary-accused-of-misrepresentation-by-participants

https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/seaspiracy-netflix-movie-take-action/

https://www.netflix.com/title/81014008 

https://www.euronews.com/living/2018/10/23/these-fashion-brands-give-new-life-to-ghost-fishing-nets