The film, made by Kip Andersen and his assistants Ali and Lucy Tabrizi, shows corals bleached white by rising sea temperatures caused by climate change. One commentator tells the team: “We are at war with the oceans. We are going to lose it all because man cannot live on this planet with dead seas.”
At least eight million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. Shredded by wind and waves, it enters the food chain after being eaten by fish.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation also estimates that more than 70 per cent of the world’s fish are fully exploited, overfished or in crisis.
The Daily Express has backed the call for a green revolution in the way we treat our planet with our environmental crusade.
The documentary, streamed on Netflix from Wednesday, says that the illegal exploitation of the seas is led by organised crime. It draws parallels between “blood diamonds” – used to fund civil wars or crime – and what it calls “blood shrimps”.
One expert says: “The same syndicates that are behind illegal fishing are the same criminal groups that are behind drug trafficking, human trafficking and other crimes.”
The documentary was backed financially by eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince after he met Kip Andersen, who also made the 2014 film Cowspiracy which highlighted the impact of livestock farming on the environment.
Mr Vince said: “The destruction of marine life is a major environmental issue which we’ve been focused on for many years. So when Kip told us he was looking to make a follow-up to Cowspiracy, an ocean version, we were keen to help make it happen.
“This incredible film exposes the full scale of our assault on life in our oceans.
“With Netflix on board, Seaspiracy will be seen by an audience of millions around the world, and once you see stuff like this, the natural step to take is to stop being part of it. We need to stop eating fish, stop using them to feed cows and generally stop the destruction of our oceans. I think this film will rally people to this cause. Information is always the first step to fixing a problem.”
Film assistant Ali said: “I have been fascinated by the oceans for as long as I can remember but this romantic view completely changed.
“I was forced to confront a side of the story I never knew – a story of just how huge our impact on the seas has become.”