Seen the film Seaspiracy yet? The Netflix-backed documentary which was created by filmmakers Ali and Lucy Tabrizi has been a huge hit on the streaming platform and is generating a worldwide debate on the future of fishing.
Now the duo have followed their film with a petition which seeks to create and enforce ‘no-catch’ marine reserves in at least 30% of UK waters. The filmmakers hope the petition will lead to changes in the Uk which might inspire other countries to follow suit. As the petition says ‘to demand world leaders protect more of our ocean from this destructive industry.’
The petition currently has over 130k signees three days after its launch.
It reads: “Unless we act now we will live to see the death of the oceans. And, our children will never know the wonder and beauty of our once thriving blue planet.
“Seaspiracy has exposed the truth, but we can’t fix this on our own. Now we need action, and that’s where you come in. Together we can change this.”
The UK fishing industry is currently in a state of flux post the Brexit negotiations which concluded in December 2020. The agreement enables EU boats to fish in UK waters, however, the UK has the right to completely exclude EU boats after 2026.
The UK is however a small player in the global fishing world. According to the Office for National Statistics, fishing was worth £437m to the UK economy in 2019. By comparison, the financial services industry was worth £126bn.
The petition is here
