In this day and age, we are the kids who treat the earth with respect. We recycle, conserve energy and plant trees. We are the good generation that has traded in gas-guzzling SUVs for more eco-friendly hybrid vehicles. Kudos to us!

But really, how much good are we doing the environment? In truth, we still put our wants far before the good of Mother Nature and her wards. Even our everyday sayings denote a lack of attention for our actions. Because obviously money grows on trees, and we go through it like it’s water.

In The End of the Line, author and editor for The Daily Telegraph, Charles Clover, is on a mission to remedy the global community’s constant and infallible belief that there are always more fish in the sea. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is a playground – not for us two-legged, God-fearing mammals – but for each and every water-breathing, scale-growing creature of the deep.

The kicker at the heart of the story is scientists estimate that in less than 50 years, if we go on as we are, the wild resources of the open seas will face total collapse with terrible consequences for oceans, ecosystems and the billion people who depend on fish for food. The documentary examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna, the overpopulation of jellyfish and a futuristic world with minimal marine life. To be exact, 2048 is the date scientists have projected as the end of most seafood as we know it, save for plankton, algae and other microorganisms.

Filmed over the span of two years and supported by leading international environmental organizations, The End of the Line is based on Clover’s novel and his investigative research as he tracks down politicians and shames celebrity restaurateurs into joining the cause to end the depletion of fish.

The film is a whirlwind adventure: from Newfoundland to Senegal and fisheries in Alaska to fish markets in Tokyo, no single nation is targeted by the film that stresses the impact everyone has on the fish population. Yes, even you may be guilty of buying endangered fish or eating fish that was caught illegally.

What this film does best is it does less scolding and offers more solutions. Sure, we may be responsible, but (accept one last cliché) there is no crying over spilt milk. The film is giving us the knowledge we need to go out there and make a difference.

Citizens of the world, this is your wake up call.

Grade: B



The End of the Line releases in select theaters June 19.