[Sust-mar] the film "Sharkwater"

[Lyse Boyce]

I saw a really good film recently: Sharkwater.  It's one of the best
nature / environmental activism films I've seen. The filmmaker, Rob
Stewart, loves sharks and has dedicated a lot of time to learning about
them and sharing his enthusiasm and knowledge.  It's the guy's first film! 
Although his extensive background in photography, marine biology, and
diving gave him a strong foundation for this project. 

There is beautiful imagery of sharks and other marine life. There is also
disturbing and revealing footage of human overharvesting and waste of
sharks and other marine animals, particularly for the lucrative shark fin
trade. Things get pretty dramatic! Especially when Stewart is working with
Paul Watson and other members of the Sea Shepherd society. The film
reminded me a bit of Barry Lopez's book "Of wolves and men" - both explore
human relationships with predators that have been demonized by various
cultures. 

It would have been good if there had been more of an analysis of the
socioeconomic factors that contribute to overfishing. However, the
filmmaker focuses on his passions and knowledge base. And there is only so
much that can fit into one film.

You can see the Ecology Action Centre's Mark Butler who is interviewed a
couple of times in the film. It's good to see him sharing his knowledge
about long lining and other things. I like the part where he compares long
line fishing with an imaginary comparable trap line on land. 

There's info on the film at <www.sharkwater.com> - including study guides
for elementary and secondary school classes. 

I recommend seeing it on the big screen at a movie theatre - which you can
do in Halifax for the next while.