Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1360420
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 APRIL 2021 NEWS Federation of Maltese Aquaculture Producers CEO says Netflix's 'Seaspiracy' littered with misinformation KARL AZZOPARDI CHARLON Gouder, the CEO of Malta's tuna ranching lobby, the Federation of Maltese Aqua- culture Producers, has slammed what he called the "negative por- trayal of the aquaculture indus- try" in Netflix's latest documen- tary 'Seaspiracy'. The recently launched docu- mentary delves into the damn- ing effects of over-fishing on the world's ecosystems. In the doc- umentary, Ali Tabrizi, the film's director and narrator, travels around the world to document various legal and illegal fishing practices, introducing the no- tion of the 'blood shrimp' – sea- food tainted by slave labour and huma rights abuses in an indus- try driven by money. The 90-minute film is trend- ing on the platform as one of its Top 10 most watched films and programmes and has been praised by celebrities including Bryan Adams, the vegan Cana- dian rock star, who urged his followers to watch it and stop eating fish. George Monbiot, the environmentalist who appears in it, described it on Twitter as "a brilliant exposé of the greatest threat to marine life: fishing". While viewers will surely find the documentary an eye-opener, critics like Gouder claim it over- simplifies a very complex issue, making use of out-of-context interviews and wrong statistics. It also features an interview with former Maltese European Com- missioner for fisheries, Karmenu Vella, who appears at pain to ex- plain whether a sustainable fish- ing industry is possible. "Viewers saw a picture of doom and gloom in life at sea," the FMAP's chief lobbyist Charlon Gouder said. "Whilst I condemn without reservation any act of slavery or human rights abuse, I cannot but forcefully reject the negative portrayal of the aquaculture in- dustry, all designed to dissuade people from eating fish. Yes, I stand for genuine fishermen and defend sustainable aquaculture, which provides a healthy source of protein to billions of people," Gouder, a lawyer, said in a com- mentary penned for MaltaTo- day, referring to aquaculture and fishing as an industry recognised by the Food and Agriculture Or- ganisation (FAO) of the United as part of the well-being of poor and disadvantaged communi- ties. But he charged the producers of Seapiracy with having "failed miserably with their misinfor- mation". "The Global Aquaculture Al- liance said that this production was designed to turn viewers off animal proteins in favour of plant-based diets while the Unit- ed States-based National Fisher- ies Institute said that legitimate documentaries must be distin- guished from propaganda. The idea that the oceans will be emp- ty by 2048 is nowhere support- ed by scientific papers whereas the alleged scoop that dolphins are killed in tuna fisheries is an absolute falsehood, at least for those Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna ar- eas that serve Maltese farms," he said. The 2048 deadline comes from a 2006 study which predicts that the world's seas and oceans will be virtually empty in 42 years' time. Critics indeed argue that this most shocking of statistics is wrong. Oceana, an NGO cam- paigning for ocean protection, claimed it was misrepresented in the film, because an interview with a former Oceana staffer appeared to suggest it did not have a definition for sustainabil- ity. In a statement, Oceana said: "Choosing to abstain from con- suming seafood is not a realistic choice for the hundreds of mil- lions of people around the world who depend on coastal fisheries – many of whom are also facing poverty, hunger and malnutri- tion." Gouder definitely agrees. "I fail to understand several claims made that the oceans will be empty of fish, including Blue- fin tuna, in 27 years' time. This completely disregards the sci- entists at the Standing Commit- tee on Research and Statistics (SCRS), under the International Commission for the Conserva- tion of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), who have acknowledged that the current status of the stock no longer appears to require emer- gency measures and, instead, say a management plan should be considered," he said. Gouder even took issue with claims made by Tabrizi that ob- servers aboard fishing vessels are maltreated by the fishers. "Our experience with the regional and national observers during the fishing season is positive, complementing our efforts to raise the bar of sustainability, ac- countability and traceability." He said measures in place in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna ar- eas, championed by the Maltese industry, contribute to a safely regulated fishing industry with the entire chain secured and recorded onto the electronic Bluefin Tuna Catch Document (e-BCD). "If this was not the case the European Commission would not have accepted Malta's request for an increase of input of wild caught Bluefin tuna," he said. Malta will see an increased in- put of 1,500 tons of Bluefin Tu- na during this year's season. The catching of the Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean with purse sein- er nets for the fattening farms is regulated by law and only per- missible during the period of 26 May to 1 July. This increase will contribute an additional €25 million into the Maltese economy, on top of the €185 million generated dur- ing 2020. In 2019 the industry generated almost €170 million in exports. Malta's current input capacity is of 12,300 tonnes. "It is also welcome because it will happen at a time when oth- er industries are striving to sur- vive the impact of COVID–19. Aquaculture is flourishing with new prospects. It has proved its important role in a diversified economy built on different nich- es." Netflix 'doom and gloom' is not realistic picture says tuna lobbyist Seaspiracy director Ali Tabrizi inspects a shark fin in Seaspiracy PHOTO JAMES BIANCHI