A mix of high-seas drama, elegant underwater footage and conservation chic – Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart’s film ‘Sharkwater’ takes a bite out of the global shark fin industry, which is responsible for wiping the big fish from the seas.
With the focus of the film, already bringing it critical acclaim and attention, Stewart hopes to inspire action to save the sharks across the world. The film had the third-largest box office opening for a documentary in Canadian theater history. It looks at the threats facing the predators that are on top of the marine food chain.
It is the ‘finning’ industry, which is the primary threat to the sharks for their fins! The fins are a coveted ingredient for a popular soup that fetches high prices in China including other Asian countries.
After a screening of the film at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, Stewart told Reuters,
It’s very much aimed at trying to increase awareness. The general public does not know that sharks are being wiped out.
I thought if I could bring people closer to sharks than they have ever been before then they could develop a love for them and see the reality so they could fight for their protection.
He further explains,
If an elephant falls for ivory in Africa, the world goes crazy. But 100 million sharks die every year and no one notices or cares. And sharks are far more ecologically significant than elephants are. Sharks are in every ocean.
Over fishing of big sharks in the Atlantic has cut stocks by 99 percent. This is dooming bay scallop fishery of North Carolina and is also threatening other species including shrimp and crabs.