The last Catch
Director Markus Schmidt
Countries Germany
Duration 85 min
Synopsis
European bluefin tuna can grow to the size of a passenger car – up to 5m long and weighing up to 600 kg. Once a year, schools of them migrate from the Atlantic to spawning grounds in the Mediterranean. It is a well-established fact that tuna stocks now face imminent collapse. Yet they are still being fished during spawning season, interrupting the natural cycle of replenishment. The fishermen, too, are now facing extinction: While some have used questionable means to secure fishing licenses for still plentiful Libyan waters, the rest are left to trawl the already heavily overfished areas. A desperate fight for survival is coming to a head. Who will weather the storm?
European bluefin tuna can grow to the size of a passenger car – up to 5m long and weighing up to 600 kg. Once a year, schools of them migrate from the Atlantic to spawning grounds in the Mediterranean. It is a well-established fact that tuna stocks now face imminent collapse. Yet they are still being fished during spawning season, interrupting the natural cycle of replenishment. The fishermen, too, are now facing extinction: While some have used questionable means to secure fishing licenses for still plentiful Libyan waters, the rest are left to trawl the already heavily overfished areas. A desperate fight for survival is coming to a head. Who will weather the storm?