Director, Ali Tabrizi brings us one of the most environmentally hard-hitting, gut wrenching, shocking films of all time which slaps each and every one of us on the wrist - which Julia openly confronts him about during the interview. Seaspiricy, one of its top 10 most watched films on Netfilx, highlights bycatch, overfishing and the destruction of marine ecosystems. However experts and NGO’s in the film are saying that it contains misleading claims, erroneous statistics and out-of-context interviews…

And there’s a lot of dirt on Ali being accused of misrepresentation by the critics which we talk out in our interview.

Here’s a start; an executive with the international organisation responsible for the Dolphin Safe tuna label, Mark Palmer, has said “The film took my statement out of context to suggest that there is no oversight and we don’t know whether dolphins are being killed. That is not true.” David Phillips, director of the International Marine Mammal Project stated, “While covering critical topics, Seaspiracy unfortunately does a disservice to a number of organizations that are doing critical work to protect oceans and marine life. It’s no surprise that the New York Times panned the film for entrapping interviewees with leading questions and getting lost in a sea of murky conspiratorial thinking.”

And then… Professor Christina Hicks, an environmental social scientist at Lancaster University who was interviewed for the film, tweeted: “Unnerving to discover your cameo in a film slamming an industry you love and have committed your career to.”

Critics also argue one of the most shocking statistics quoted in the film is wrong. A stark prediction, from a 2006 study by Boris Worm, warning that “the ocean will be empty by 2048”. Worm, however retracted this paper two years later and teamed up with Marine Biologist and fishery scientist, Ray Hilborn, along with 19 other authors, released a new study in 2009. The irony upon the release of the 2009 paper is, Boris Worm all of a sudden claims that “the paper shows that our oceans are not a lost cause”. Ray Hilborn also stated that his research receives funding from the fisheries, ‘It is true that my research program receives funding from the fishing industry. Industry funding makes up about 22% of my total funding”.

Understandably, this is one of the reasons for critics spearheading the 2006, 2048 ‘empty oceans’ prediction. However it does seem a bit odd to me that two years after Worm’s study warns of a complete collapse in the world’s seafood stocks by 2048 to then “I’m somewhat more hopeful … than what we were seeing two years ago.” and “I have actually given thought to whether I will be hosting a seafood party then,” Worm said, meaning 2048.

Our main question, would scientists support the assertion that all fish stocks will be collapsed by 2048? We talk to Ali about this. Tune in.

HOT TOPICS

@seaspiricy

• Ali tells us just how tough it was to make Seaspiricy and why he decided to make one of the hardest films imaginable
• Despite the long length of production / hate / social setbacks, What drove Ali to continue?
• What was left on the cutting room floor?
• Death threats on location during production…
• Fishing companies have reacted to the film, with hindsight would Ali change anything about it?
• We talk the dirt on companies who feel they have been taken out of context,,,
• Do you want to contact these people who agree to be apart of your film and then backtrack what they say on camera?
• Do the negative comments on the film bother Ali - or does the good messages far outweigh them.
• Can sustainable fisheries actually exist?
• What messages was Ali hoping to get out to the world through his film?
• How can large fish companies continue to make the claim that they are sustainable when Ali’s film facts prove otherwise?
• Sustainable labels are just a marketing tool - really?
• Is there any hope for the future of our oceans?
• Vested interests in the fish market, and mass denial about the reality of the ocean
• The films current impact on the world since release
• Let’s be proud as fuck with what you’ve achieved here for a moment.
• How did this happen - what Ali really expected about the film’s release..
• Ali is an inspiration to us and we go on a bit…
• What's next?
• Have fishing companies come after Ali?
• What does Ali want people to do and take away from your film?
• How can we influence and stop other countries on ruining our ocean life?
• How do we create the impact of a global movement (aside from making films like Seaspiricy)
• Julia speaks openly about guilty fish eating and get’s dirty with Ali and Paul