Reflecting Seaspiracy...
Aktualisiert: 6. Apr. 2021
Everyone is watching it, everyone is talking about it, everyone is recommending it, but is everyone getting the wake-up call?
The movie Seaspiracy, directed by Ali Tabriz, has been advertised a lot and we have been anticipating the release since it was first announced. This did, however, create high expectations on our side, which we were afraid would not be met. Oh, boy – were we wrong: our expectations were actually exceeded.
Seaspiracy uncovers the cruel world of fishing and its impact on us and our beloved Mother Earth. And it sends out one very clear message: If we really want to make a change and save our oceans, we need to stop consuming fish and seafood (or at least drastically reduce it, for that matter).
But we do not intend on talking about the content of the movie in depth. Instead, you should watch the movie and just see it for yourself. What we wanted to do in this post, is to share our emotions and thoughts that came up while and after watching Seaspiracy.
When watching documentaries or “deeper” movies in general, we encourage you to practice asking yourself questions like these:
How do I feel after watching this?
Can I relate to what I just saw?
What do I need right now to cope with my emotions without judgment?
Can I draw parallels to my personal life?
Did the movie reassure me of what I do/believe/stand for? Or did it make me want to change something?
We are going to explore some of these questions by responding to them based on our personal views. Our opinions are our own and may vary from yours or others. This does not make it right or wrong. Opinions are subjective and affected by our personal stories, beliefs, and emotions.
How do I/we feel after watching this?
First of all, the movie left us feeling sad and discouraged. Frustrated about the world that we live in and that we are part of. Questions were popping up like “How did mankind become so cruel?”, “Why are we so obsessed with money and success that we forget everything around us and we don’t care about who is getting hurt on the way anymore?”, “Why can’t all creatures live together in peace?” and many more…
There surely is no easy answer to all those questions. Humans have always strived for something more, to something higher. What we had never seemed quite enough. We got more intelligent, our bodies changed to fit our needs, our minds got more and more powerful by and at discovering and creating new things. This evolution eventually created a human animal that sat itself on top of the food chain, invading Mother Nature and exploiting everything weaker than the homo sapiens. Even among our species, we oppressed those who we felt beneath us. The “western culture” forced itself on other precious cultures invading the land and exploiting those whose land they were stepping onto. All the while, perpetuating the belief that there was reason other than entitlement of a few. That is not to say that evolution or entitlement made some into colonizers or that there was some higher power intervening. On the contrary, these were a series of conscious decisions that set the ball rolling and we have yet to catch that ball.
This want for more turned into a need, which would later be followed by the rhetoric of “being hungry for more”, “reaching for the stars”, “working hard”. What is more? What are we working for? Is there an end goal? If we truly look inside ourselves and reflect on that, we will realize that nothing will ever be enough.
We are currently standing at a turning point. We can continue the way we have lived for hundreds of years, keeping that same mindset we have had, destroying everything around us, getting sicker, more depressed, and anxious, never being happy and one day maybe destroying that last bit of nature there is. Which will, ultimately, result at the end of the world. Or we can make a change. And we can make it now.
We can use the great power of our minds to start living a more ethical, nature-connected life. Pay respect and reparations to those, who we have shamed for their supposed primitivity, when in fact, they were the ones living as part of nature, while we chose to live at the cost of nature. We can let go of the ego, open our eyes and hearts to everything nature has to offer and realize, that we are actually part of that cycle. We are not outsiders; we do not control nature. Nature controls itself and we can only survive if we step back into the circle and try, step by step, to become friends again and live a peaceful life. Altogether, as one.
We know it’s a long and hard way, and it will take time to change the way we think, act, and live as a whole species.
At the end of the movie Sylvia Earle, a US-American oceanographer says these inspiring words we should all live by:
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Sometimes big ideas make a big difference. That’s what we can do; that’s what you can do. Right now. Look in the mirror. Figure it out. Go for it.” – Sylvia Earle
Can I draw parallels to my personal life?
We believe we can all draw parallels to our personal life. We are all consumers, at least everyone who is reading this post and therefore has access to an electronic device and the internet is.
We need to see in which part of our lives as consumers and in our supply we are actively or passively supporting this exploitative industry. The most obvious question is (regarding this documentary): Do we consume fish and/or seafood? This would be a “No” for us since we are on a vegan diet. But thinking about it, it made us realize how natural it felt to eat fish. Like when going out for sushi without even realizing what was behind that piece of, essentially, meat on rice. Often, we tend to think that eating fish is not as bad as eating other animals who live on land. There are even many people who call themselves pescatarians that only eat fish but no other meat. We do not know where this belief comes from, but honestly, we used to think so, too. Not only do fish also feel pain but just like farming is hurting the environment, so is fishing.
So, if you are not following a vegan diet, next time you eat an animal, whether it grew on land or in water, or anything deriving from an animal, try to make the connection. Not only to the animal’s body and the soul itself but also to the industry behind it. Think about the supply chain from the land/water to your plate. Be honest to yourself and decide for yourself whether that is something you feel comfortable with supporting or if you can make a change for yourself in your bubble helping all of us to build a better future.
Did the movie reassure me of what I do/believe/stand for? Or did it make me want to change something?
This is a very personal question, and it requires a lot of introspection. At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answer in this. Everything we said today, scratches at the surface of this very question. What do we believe in? How do we stand up for issues that are important to us? We are all activists on one or more topics.
When watching this documentary, all we could think of is: Do I/We want to support this industry? And the answer remains “No”. But you get to make your own decisions. For yourself. And they must meet your own ethical standards.
There is no shame (and especially no shaming) in this matter. If, however, you do decide or have recently decided that you, too, do not subscribe to the idea of an omnivorous diet or one that lacks sustainability for that matter, then this is the time to think further. Take that next step and think of ways you can support people or organizations that try to do good in that matter. Ask yourself how much weight you can or want to carry right now. You do not have to do anything to be a “good” person. Just do what you can, and you will realize you can have a greater impact and make a greater change than you would have ever imagined.
In the future, we will continue talking about plant-based and vegan diets, our motivation behind it, where our commitment stems from, and why something seemingly insignificant as diet, has challenged our beliefs on many issues.
Before we go, we would like to, once more, point out that this blog post was and is in no way intended to shame people whose beliefs do not align with ours. Instead, we want to be as open and transparent as possible on issues that hold a deep meaning to us. What is right for us, may not be right for everyone. But when something is deemed to be right for everyone, there has got to be some (hidden) agenda.
We would love to hear your opinion on this matter. Have you watched Seaspiracy? Did the documentary leave a similar impact on you? Are you following a vegan diet? If yes, do you feel that people take you less seriously after they find out? If no, do you feel that people judge you for it?
Thank you for joining us today. We appreciate your continuous support. We hope to see you back here on Sunday, for our regularly scheduled blog post. Stay kind.
xx HOLI BLOG TEAM
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