Seaspiracy Hits Netflix and the Internet Argues About Fish

Seaspiracy, directed by Ali Tabrizi and produced by Cowspiracy's Kip Andersen, was released on Netflix on March 24, 2021, after receiving production support and initial funding from British renewable energy entrepreneur Dale Vince. The 89-minute documentary argued that commercial fishing, not plastic straws or cattle, is the primary force wrecking marine ecosystems, and it pushed viewers toward a simple conclusion: stop eating fish. It was one of the most watched films on Netflix in several countries within its first week and set off a social media storm around the seafood industry. Marine scientists quickly pushed back on specific claims in the film, even while some agreed with its larger point that overfishing is a genuine crisis. The fight over the film's accuracy became almost as widely discussed as the film itself.