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“End of the Line” - A film about unsustainable fishing and the future of the oceans

Friday, January 28 , 2011
6:00-9:00 pm
At Audubon Greenwich

With Special Guest: Jamie Pollack, NY Representative for the Pew Charitable Trust's 'National Fisheries Reform Project' and Co-Founder of Shark Savers

How is overfishing impacting the environment, our food, and our future? Rupert Murray dives deep to illuminate the cold truth about industrial pillaging of Earth's oceans with his film, "The End of the Line". This is the first major feature documentary film to reveal the devastating effect that global over-fishing is having on fish stocks and the health of our oceans. Filmed over two years, the film follows the indefatigable investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts the politicians and celebrity restaurateurs who exhibit little regard for the damage their policies-and their menus-are doing to the oceans. Narrated by Ted Danson and endorsed by and with major marketing support from National Geographic, Greenpeace and the Waitt Family Foundation, "The End of the Line" is a must-see for all who love the ocean and its creatures. Visit the official site (82 min).

Jamie Pollack will attend the event as the NY Representative for the Pew Environment Group's 'National Fisheries Reform Project' which focuses on ending overfishing by 2011. She is also the Co-Founder of Shark Savers, a international shark conservation organization focusing on lowering the demand for shark fin soup and setting up shark sanctuaries around the world. The Pew Environment Group is currently working on a campaign to ban surface longline fishing in the Gulf of Mexico which they use to catch swordfish and yellowfin tuna. While longlines kill swordfish and yellowfin, they also kill bluefin tuna, marlin, sharks and sea turtles as well. This method of fishing is extremely destructive and indiscriminate because It kills everything in its path. Other types of fishing which can be used in its place called Green Line and Buoy fishing do not have the high rates of bycatch that longline fishing does. The Gulf of Mexico is extremely important because it is where the bluefin go to spawn. The Gulf oil spill disaster occurred at a critical time, during the spawning of these species. Today, surface longlines continue to push depleted and endangered marine animals further away from recovery. Ms. Pollack notes, "2011 is the year that all catch levels need to meet the levels set by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Public Law 94-265) and public support for supporting these measures is very important due the challenges the Act could face from Congress." She will be on hand to take questions from the audience, distribute sustainable seafood cards and explain the innovative "fishphone" app that is available on cell phones.

Space is limited and RSVPs are required. Suggested donation only $12 online or $15 at the door. Under 21 years old: $5 suggested. Includes a organic wine & local cheese reception from 6:00-7:00 pm. Contact Jeff Cordulack to check for RSVP availability. 203-869-5272 x239 or email. To reserve your seat online, visit here.

Synopsis

Debuting at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and playing in hundreds of cinemas, aquariums, and universities across the US and the United Kingdom, Rupert Murray’s THE END OF THE LINE is nothing short of the inconvenient truth about the devastating effect of overfishing on the world’s ecosystems. The first major documentary to reveal the extent of the crisis facing today's oceans, THE END OF THE LINE challenges us to imagine a world without fish…period.

The New York Times calls it “vital”, “well-researched,” and “evenhanded ”: a film “that subverts our ancient faith in the ocean as an inexhaustible resource, offering a persuasive case that the major species of edible fish are headed for extinction.”

Filmed over two years, the documentary follows the indefatigable investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts the politicians and celebrity restaurateurs who exhibit little regard for the damage their policies—and their menus—are doing to the oceans. Taking us from the cod-depleted shores of the Atlantic to the Straits of Gibraltar and the coasts of Senegal, and on to the Tokyo fish market, THE END OF THE LINE sounds a powerful wake-up call to the world: If we continue fishing as we are now, we will see the end of most seafood by 2048.

Credits

Rupert Murray, Director: Rupert Murray directed and edited UNKNOWN WHITE MALE (2005), which was nominated for awards at the Directors Guild of America Awards, the Grierson Awards and the British Independent Film Awards. He has recently directed a feature length documentary OLLY AND SUZY: Two of a Mind, a film about two artists who paint dangerous predators in the wild.

Charles Clover, Author, The End of the Line: Charles Clover’s book, The End of the Line, has been described as the definitive book on over-fishing, winning the Guild of Food Writers' Derek Cooper Award for investigative food writing, an Andre Simon award for food writing, and the Zoological Society of London's BIOSIS award for communicating zoology. Clover writes a weekly column in the Sunday Times and was Environment Editor of The Daily Telegraph, based in London, from 1988-2008.

Claire Lewis, Producer: Claire Lewis is the award-winning film and TV producer of the 7UP series with director Michael Apted. Lewis also produced THE TRUCK OF DREAMS (2005), which won the World cinema award in Washington IDFF, 2006.

George Duffield, Producer: George Duffield has produced DOT THE I (2003), starring Gael Garcia Bernal, and MILK (1999), and has executive produced TONIGHT AT NOON (2008) and BLACK BOX (2007) and associate produced LIVE FREE OR DIE (2008). He is currently producing Rupert Murray’s OLLY AND SUZE (2009) for BBC's Storyville and Journeyman (2009).

Christopher Hird, Executive Producer: Christopher Hird is a founder of Fulcrum Productions and Dartmouth Films—a production company committed to documentaries that make a difference. In addition to executive producing THE TERROR AND THE TRUTH (BBC, 1997), the Grierson-winning BELONGING (2003), and BLACK GOLD (2006), Hird has most recently executive produced PIG BUSINESS, to be released in 2009.

Jess Search, Executive Producer: Jess Search is Chief Executive of the Channel 4 British Documentary Film Foundation and the BritDoc Festival.

The Campaign

A powerful and convincing call to action, THE END OF THE LINE, the film has three messages for consumers, citizens and companies:

Ask before you buy: Only eat sustainable seafood.

Tell politicians: Respect the science; cut the fishing fleet.

Join the campaign: Fight for marine protected areas and responsible fishing.

http://endoftheline.com