Atlantic salmon fishing has a great legacy of time-honoured traditions and an unwritten code of ethics world. As noted by the producers of the film, ‘Through intensive farming and global pollution, the flesh of the fish we eat has turned into a deadly chemical cocktail. The Atlantic cod and its close relative, Atlantic halibut, are at the top of this list. All the same, fishing communities around the world have always been wary of putting human life at risk, regardless of how or why that risk is placed. While the majority of commercial fish in the Atlantic may be farmed and far from the sea, some are caught by humans and transported to distant parts of world by air, sea and land. The risk of catching and eating these fish is both immediate and significant. It is for this reason that the fishermen of Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Greenland and Iceland have banned all commercial fishing for Atlantic Atlantic Salmon and other species of cod for twenty years.
However, this ban is not absolute. Although the ban has been in place for 20 years, it is only effective as of 2015, when the Icelandic fishermen finally gave up their struggle and have lifted their ban. Iceland has now become a major source of salmon, with a very low rate of illegal fishing. In 2015 alone, Iceland exported around US$2 million worth of fish to other countries, as well as $10 million of other seafood products. Iceland is also known as the ‘home of fishing’, ‘the fishing capital of Europe’, and ‘Europe’s fishing hub’. It has the largest fleet of boats in Europe and is one of only two countries in North America to import large amounts of Atlantic bluefin tuna. What is clear is that there is no such thing as a safe food source for us to eat. We must, therefore, at the very least, be aware of all the things we are eating that may contain mercury, lead, mercury compounds and PCBs, PCB-containing fish, fish that contain pesticides, contaminated shellfish, seafood that is not well treated or not properly cleaned and so on. The Atlantic cod and salmon industry has seen an increase in illegal and unregulated fishing in Iceland and many other coastal areas of Europe. Because of its enormous commercial importance, these species must be protected, even if that means putting the health of some of our fellow citizens at risk. This film demonstrates the strength of fishing traditions, which, in many countries around Europe, are the foundation of their communities and economies. By doing so, we demonstrate the enormous benefits of a strong fishing tradition, of life-affirming traditions that protect the environment.
