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| Empty Oceans, Empty Nets: Press Release |
A Sea of Change: New PBS Documentary Examines Reasons for Dwindling Fish Populations
EMPTY OCEANS, EMPTY NETS Examines Fishing Practices and Population Demands That Strain the Ocean's Ability to Sustain Itself
Program Premieres Earth Day 2002
San Francisco, California—Did you know that the fish you are eating–and the fish those fish are eating—are in danger of disappearing? The oceans have always been humanity's single largest source of protein, but for the first time in history this critical food supply is at risk in many areas of the world. A new documentary by Habitat Media, Empty Oceans, Empty Nets, examines the alarming global decline of marine fisheries, as well as efforts underway to sustain and restore them. Presented this spring by San Francisco's public television station KQED and premiering on PBS nationwide on April 22, 2002 at 10 p.m. (check local listings), the documentary presents riveting images revealing the immense scale of the global fishing effort. Fishermen and experts in the film discuss declines of fish populations, and testify to the importance of fisheries to seafood consumers, fishing communities, and to the hundreds of millions of people in food deficient countries who depend on seafood as a primary source of protein.
According to the most comprehensive and recent data published by the United Nations, two-thirds of the major marine fisheries of the world are currently fully exploited, over exploited or depleted, compared to 5 percent reported only 40 years ago. In recent years, fishermen, seafood merchants and fisheries scientists have reported a disturbing decrease in the volume and size of fish being captured. Empty Oceans, Empty Nets investigates a number of other factors that contribute to the decline of ocean fish, including bycatch (wasted catch), destructive fishing practices and a globalized fish market.
Empty Oceans, Empty Nets presents evidence that supports what fishermen and scientists are reporting the world over, but that the public remains largely unaware of to date. "Our oceans are rapidly being depleted of fish and, in fact, entire populations of fish are becoming commercially extinct," said Steve Cowan, the documentary's executive producer and director. "We traveled from Indonesia to Boston to the coast of Spain, filming fisheries in decline and interviewing fishermen and scientists, who told us that scores of fish population are on the verge of collapse."
"Destructive fishing practices share the blame for declining fish stocks," Cowan said. "In addition to the 100 million tons of seafood brought to the market each year, fishermen also catch and discard about 22 million tons of fish and other sea life." Practices such as poisoning coral reefs to harvest reef fish, and trawling over sensitive areas of the ocean floor to scoop up bottom-dwelling fish destroy fish habitats, making it more difficult for fish populations to restore themselves.
Empty Oceans, Empty Nets was underwritten by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation; Oceana; Whole Foods; Marine Conservation Biology Institute; George T. Pfleger Foundation; Gaia Fund; Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation; Unilever; Bullitt Foundation; Compton Foundation; Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc.; Project AWARE Foundation; William H. & Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation; Community Foundation of Cape Cod; Jamee and Marshall Field Foundation.
Habitat Productions was formed in 1992 as a project of the Tides Center, a non-profit organization in San Francisco. Habitat Media was formed as a multi-media group in 1999 to produce television documentaries and other educational components that complement these documentaries. The mission of the production group is to encourage public involvement in marine conservation efforts. Several of Habitat Media's award-winning productions have encouraged consumer awareness and participation in marine conservation. Visit Habitat Media's website for more information: habitatmedia.org.
KQED operates KQED Public Television 9, the nation's most-watched public television station, and Digital Television 30, Northern California's only public television digital signal; KQED Public Radio 88.5 FM, the most listened-to public radio station in the nation; the KQED Education Network, which brings the impact of KQED to thousands of teachers, students, parents and media professionals through workshops, seminars and resources; and kqed.org, which harnesses the power of the Internet to bring KQED to communities across the Web.
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