The director behind the viral Netflix documentary Seaspiracy urged world leaders attending Cop28 in Dubai later this year to address the crisis facing the world's oceans.
Speaking to The National at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, British-Iranian filmmaker Ali Tabrizi blames the rapacious fishing industry for being at the heart of the ocean's woes – from decreased marine life to the spread of plastic pollution.
“The oceans are the secret to protecting the environment,” he says.
“The oceans produce something in the excess of 18 per cent of the world's oxygen that we breathe and the idea that we are not discussing this enough is pure insanity.”
Tabrizi certainly got more people talking about the matter, including leading conservationists and celebrities.
Released in 2021, Seaspiracy is a powerful and at times shocking look at the environmental and human toll of industrial fishing.
It presents the case, through interviews with experts and industry insiders, that commercial fishing is the biggest threat to marine life.
The response was immediate with Seaspiracy reportedly trending globally on Twitter.
Singers Paul McCartney and Bryan Adams urged their social media followers to watch the film, while Kourtney Kardashian tweeted her desire to stop eating fish in response to the work.
Tabrizi – a vegan – hopes we all reconsider our fish consumption.
“We also have a role to play because at the end of the day there are market forces involved,” he says.
“The more we know about the industry’s practices, we can get to a stage where it can make it not viable for them to not continue doing what they are doing.”
The Outsider
It is an ambitious aim, but Tabrizi is not the only documentarian taking the good fight against a powerful industry.
Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me (2004) is credited for fast food chain McDonald's decision to discontinue its supersize portions, while Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine exposed the political influence of America's gun lobby.
Seaspiracy follows that tradition in that it’s made by an outsider.
Tabrizi is both narrator and central character as we follow his globetrotting mission, from murky Thai fish markets to the “floating slaughterhouses” of whale trawlers in the Faroe Islands, to uncover the ripple effects of industrial fishing.
Such a barrelling narrative device allows the viewer to discover the information at the same time and at the edge of their seats as Tabrizi dodges security officials and crosses check points to land the next big interview.
Tabrizi credits Sir David Attenborough for instilling his love of nature.
“I grew up watching Attenborough documentaries with my father and that really got me interested in the environment,” he says.
“And as I grew I began to be attuned to how there is less greenery and fishes around. It made me really look at the world around me and learn more about what’s going on.”
That self-education also extended to filmmaking.
“I learnt how to make videos from YouTube,” Tabrizi recalls. “I would shoot, edit and create content about the environment. I would use existing footage from online – these were all fair use, by the way – and add my voice over them.
“A lot of them I have taken down because I am kind of embarrassed about the quality. I look at them as the early scrapbooks of an artist.”
One of these early projects was a 2015 short film about the deteriorating state of the oceans, which found its way to Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, directors and producers of the 2014 successful Netflix documentary Cowspiracy, which explored the impacts of animal agriculture on the environment.
“Their film did well and Netflix asked them if they were working on anything else,” Tabrizi says.
“They said, well there is this kid who is working on an ocean movie and Netflix were immediately interested.”
A love story
While Tabrizi describes Seaspiracy’s production costs as smaller than a “Netflix drama’s catering budget”, he credits the limited funds for the film’s kinetic visuals and use of handheld camera footage.
It also tightened his bond with Lucy Manning, the other member of his “two-man production team.”
By the time the film was released the couple had married and now have two children.
“That is the hidden love story within Seaspiracy,” he beams. “We ended up travelling around the world together making a movie about how to save the ocean while sort of kindling our own relationship.
“As anyone that works with their partner knows, there will be times of conflict and struggle but you work through it and you come out on the other side stronger.”
Tabrizi says the couple are enjoying family life and are wary of undertaking another risky film adventure.
“I would love to make a sequel to Seaspiracy but not in the way we made the first one. It wouldn’t be good for safety and our relationship,” he says.
“I would definitely never do it on such a small budget and my filmmaking skills have grown considerably since then.”
AIDA%20RETURNS
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
More coverage from the Future Forum
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Salem Rashid, Mohammed Al Attas, Alhassan Saleh
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Yahya Nader, Ahmed Barman, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah, Yahya Al Ghassani
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
CREW
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The%20specs
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The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Stan%20Lee
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Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
FA CUP FINAL
Manchester City 6
(D Silva 26', Sterling 38', 81', 87', De Bruyne 61', Jesus 68')
Watford 0
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
