The End Of The Line

"Imagine an ocean without fish. Imagine your meals without seafood. Imagine the global consequences. This is the future if we do not stop, think and act." This is the stark message brought to us all by Charles Clover, former Environment Editor of The Daily Telegraph and author of The End Of The Line, made into a documentary film by Director Rupert Murray and released in British cinemas this week. Unsustainable use of marine resources is a subject that's very important to me - I'm proud to have carried the logo of The Marine Stewardship Council in my sidebar for a long time now.

Murray's film should do for our oceans what An Inconvenient Truth did for climate change - bring the issue of unsustainable fishing into the public consciousness and shame governments around the world into action. Over-fishing means entire species of fish are under threat and the most important stocks will be in a state of collapse by 2050. The film points the finger at those most to blame - including celebrity chefs - and shows what we can do about it. This is not just a film - it's a campaign for sustainable consumption of fish, for marine protected areas to allow the sea to recover and for a new ethic of responsible fishing.

The End Of The Line campaign is supported by conservation organisations and individuals world-wide.

Organisations include Bite-Back, The Blue Ocean Institute, COAST, The Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace, The Marine Conservation Society, The Marine Foundation, The Marine Stewardship Council, Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, The Pew Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, The Project AWARE Foundation, Save The Whales Please, The Sea Turtle Restoration Project, The Shark Trust, The Waterloo Foundation, The Wildlife Trusts and WWF and individuals include HRH The Prince of Wales, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Ted Danson, Greta Scacchi, Emilia Fox, Terry Gilliam, Sienna Miller, Jemima Khan, Laura Bailey, Alicia Silverstone, Charlize Theron, Zac Goldsmith, Sting, Trudie Styler, Geri Halliwell, Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant, Elle Macpherson and Lenny Henry.

We can all do our little bit in different ways. Scacchi, Fox and Gilliam posed naked in a stunt aimed at drawing media attention to the campaign to save the bluefin tuna. I'll pass on that one - but as a chef, I pledge to campaign for fellow chefs to remove endangered species from menus and as a future restaurateur only to serve fish ethically sourced from sustainable stocks. The film has already prompted retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Pret à Manger to announce new policies on sustainable fishing, the removal of endangered tuna species and the switch to pole and line methods of catching in which Sainsbury's and Waitrose had already taken a lead. Some celebrity restaurateurs such as Aldo Zilli have already stepped forward to make the most important first step - removal of the bluefin tuna and other critically endangered species from their menus, along with the restaurant chains of Soseki, Moshi Moshi, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Itsu and others. The devil of the piece, widely reported in the media including one of my favourite news sources The Kitchen Rat, is Nobu. The global chain of Japanese restaurants favoured by the rich and famous continues to serve bluefin tuna, despite the global campaign. Nobu Berkeley Street has added a note to the menu pointing out the threat to the bluefin and inviting diners to ask for an alternative. It's hard to find words to describe such an attitude.

I can't get to see the film myself as I'm working long hours including evening shifts here in Spain. But I can urge you to seek out a UK screening or a US screening if you are in those countries and to hunt out details if you are elsewhere. Meanwhile, here's an early version of the promotional clip for the movie:

If, even after that, you're still addicted to those tuna sandwiches and don't know what to do for a replacement, Matthew Fort in The Guardian has some useful suggestions. If you are still unable to break the habit, Sophie at Mostly Eating can offer you tips on ethical buying of tuna.