World Ocean Day

Did you know that yesterday (8th June) was World Ocean Day?

Click here or here to find out more.


Hello friends,

Today is World Oceans Day - not yet as high profile a calendar event as Mothers' Day or Fathers' Day, yet equally worthy of celebration since the oceans are the source of all life on earth – home to most of the planet's species.

Millions of people depend on the oceans for their livelihood, their food, or both. It's estimated that the oceans absorb 30-50 percent of the carbon dioxide our fossil-fueled civilization emits. The oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe. Quite literally, if the oceans die, our planet dies.

Yet we are fishing out our oceans, catching too much, and wasting much of what we catch. We use destructive fishing methods to scrape the sea-floor clean of centuries-old coral and other living things in search of a few premium species.

We send more and more boats out chasing fewer and fewer fish. We strip the fins from sharks.

And we ignore the warnings of scientists when they recommend that we cut back on fishing for bluefin tuna, cod and salmon.

The End of the Line The End of the Line is a new film released across the UK today for special World Oceans' Day premiere screenings, which tells the story of this relentless quest to catch fish at any cost, and points the finger at the politicians, corporations and chefs who are to blame. It's a stark wake-up call to those of us who blithely assume that there will always be 'plenty more fish in the sea'.

After seeing a preview a few days ago comedian Stephen Fry told his Twitter follwers "Staggered by brilliance of The End of the Line. PLEASE go & see it when it opens 50 screens nxt wk. Rarely felt so strongly about anything". Stephen's one of a large number of celebrities who are now demanding that the fashionable Nobu resteraunt chain take endangered bluefin tuna off its menus. Others include Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Sting, Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Alicia Silverstone and Zac Goldsmith.

Here at Greenpeace we think this film is essential viewing, which is why we're proud to be supporting it. Watch the trailer and you'll see that this is more than just another film - it will change the way we think about the oceans. And please tell your friends - the more people who see it in the first few days, the more screenings it will get in cinemas in the weeks and months to come. Once you've seen it, I think you'll agree that this is a film that needs to be seen by as many people as possible.

So please celebrate World Oceans Day by going to see The End of The Line if you can. Check here for the list of participating cinemas - some have special guest Question and Answer sessions.

Help us spread the word about the film

If you use Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites, you can easily help us to get the word out by inviting your friends to take a look.

Thank you,

Willie Mackenzie
Monday, June 8th, 2009