Fatal Watch

FATAL WATCH weaves the stories of four marine observers and investigators exposing the true cost of overfishing. Combining exclusive footage with access to key investigations, the documentary shows how tuna has become a prized commodity, lives are sacrificed, and marine observers are dying to tell the truth. No one has told these stories of marine observers connecting the disappearances to crimes on the high seas and the global fishing industry.    There are more than twenty cases of missing observers, poorly investigated and never resolved.  How is it that so many marine observers, well trained to be at sea, just slip and fall overboard without a trace?  The cases unfold with increasing outrage and no small amount of heartbreak, to the astonishing revelations about what truly occurs on the high seas, miles away from any enforcement authority.

The observer stories provide a backbone to the narrative, revealing what’s happening at sea largely due to our enormous appetite for fish. This isn’t just a first-world story about our desire for sushi and sashimi, but rather a look at the populations around the world who rely on fish for their protein and livelihood. As the demand for fish continues to grow, more vessels are chasing fewer fish. The seafood industry is now a $362 billion business, and fish are one of the most highly traded commodities in the world. Nearly half the world’s population rely on fish as a major source of protein. But that source is now at risk. Our film covers crimes committed at sea in part to reveal the larger crisis, the rapidly increasing scourge of overfishing.