The End of the Line

7.5/10

78%

Release Date: 12-6-2009

Rent/Stream

Prime Video
$4.99

Buy to own

Prime Video
$7.99

Synopsis

The End of the Line is a powerful 2009 documentary exposing the effect of overfishing across the globe. The film has had a huge lasting impact on the industry and led to many positive changes including getting supermarkets to stop selling certain fish and to focus on sustainable alternatives. The film follows British journalist Charles Clover as he crisscrosses the globe exploring how illegal and overfishing has devastated the oceans, leading to the collapse of species as well as fishing communities. The film starts in Newfoundland where the most abundant cod population in the world once lived and were fished to depletion, by 1992 a ban was in place resulting in the loss of 40,000 jobs. This film by Rupert Murray and narrated by Ted Danson (The Good Place, Cheers) continues across the planet exposing unsafe fishing limits set by the EU, unregulated, illegal fishing, and restaurants selling endangered fish for profit.

Genres

Documentary

Who worked on this film

Rupert Murray
Director
Ben Bradshaw
Actor
Roberto Mielgo Bragazzi
Actor
Charles Clover
Actor
John Crosbie
Actor

Charles Clover

Writer

Everybody who wanted to do this project wanted to do it really badly, which meant that even when we ran out of money everybody continued working because they wanted this very important project done.

Is The End of the Line on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime?

The End of the Line is not available to stream on Netflix, Hulu, or Prime. You can however, rent or buy it through Amazon Prime.

Why should you watch End of The Line legally online?

This is a powerful documentary narrated by Ted Danson that will make you think twice about your consumption of fish, and will hopefully realize the impact of overfishing on the world. It had a huge impact on global fish consumption, causing supermarkets and restaurants to stop serving certain types of endangered fish. The film had support from Greenpeace, the Marine Conservation Society, the British Documentary Film Foundation as well as donations from private individuals. Everyone was passionate about the project and about getting the issue into the light, it wasn't made for profit and so supporting the film by watching it legally is really important.

Our Review of The End of the Line

I watched "The End of the Line" again in 2020 and it felt as impactful and relevant today as it did in 2009. Often documentaries look at what could happen to our planet, this showed us what had already happened and the damage has been devastating. "The End of the Line" was the first major documentary to look at the impact of overfishing on the world's oceans and what it discovered was shocking. Certain species were being fished to the point of collapse, fishing limits set by the government were unsafe and unsustainable yet unregulated illegal fishing was going even beyond these limits. I was amazed to learn that a report in the UK found that 50% of cod from the North Sea was illegal! Watching this 10 years after its release I was taken back by how bad things were then and how serious this issue is. The good news is that it had a positive impact resulting in a lot of changes but there is a lot more that needs doing. This documentary was made in 2009 and scientists predict that if we continue fishing as we were then, we will see the end of most seafood by 2048. Whilst progress has been made people need to continue to watch and share The End of the Line to ensure this disaster doesn't happen.