Snared

This is the planet we still know so little. We call it Earth but less than 1/3 is land, over 2/3 is water and we use that water as a dumping site for our waste and as if it's an inexhaustible "horn of plenty" for humans. Our most important ecosystem is on the verge of collapse unless we act now. At this very moment the main problem with the oceans is that they're getting emptier and emptier. If we don't do anything then we face one of the biggest disasters in history of mankind.

I have returned to the island were I grew up. My dad has spent thirty years alone at sea fishing lobster. He was taught the trade by his dad, who learnt from his dad. A heritage pasted down from father to son. My father never got a son, only daughters and since I was a girl no one assumed I was interested. After I turned eighteen I left Sweden and moved to Australia. After a decade abroad I started to long for home. I return to the island to see if I have it in me, can I learn the things I was never taught as a child? Will the legacy fade with me or can I become the family's next lobster fisherman? /Karolin Axelsson

Tuna are among the top predators in the oceans. But the hunter is also the hunted: many species are overfished. Can we use the riches of the oceans without destroying them?

This documentary records the journey undertaken by Jacques Cousteau, his 24-member team, and an NFB film crew to explore the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, one of the world's richest fishing areas. They discover shipwrecks, film icebergs and observe beluga whales, humpback whales and harp seals. The film also includes a fascinating sequence showing Calypso divers freeing a calf whale entrapped in a fishing net.

A documentary about the threat posed to New Zealand's Kaipara Harbour by rapacious commercial fishing and development.

Examines the violence and civil disobedience leading up to the hallmark decision in U.S. v. Washington, with particular reference to the Nisqually Indians of Frank's Landing in Washington.

Nachtwake

Free Fish is a short documentary filmed over the course of a year in Gaza, following two brothers — Abu Nagham and Ahmad — separated by war yet connected by the sea. Displaced from their home, Abu Nagham now lives in a tent in the south, fishing with his young nephew Rami, who lost his twin brother. Ahmad remains in the north, fishing amid ruins and occupation. Once a source of livelihood and freedom, the sea has become a battleground — heavily restricted, constantly watched, and always dangerous.

A local fisherwoman navigates her way through a male dominated environment to work in an industry that has been essential to island life for hundreds of years.

"The First People Taking Care of the Fishery" are the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the largest indigenous tribe east of the Mississippi. For generations, they have been stewarding the fisheries of their Great Lakes territory in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This project explores the cultural and economic importance of the fishery to the tribe and how use historic and sustainable practices to ensure a healthy fishery and preserve their way of life for the next seven generations in the face of climate change and invasive species.

Increasing pollution, over fishing and climate change are major threats our oceans are currently facing worldwide. This documentary follows us on our journey as we film devastating consequences of these harsh realities.

An overview of the lobster fishing industry in Nova Scotia.

This pioneering documentary film depicts the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of Canada's northern Quebec region. Although the production contains some fictional elements, it vividly shows how its resourceful subjects survive in such a harsh climate, revealing how they construct their igloo homes and find food by hunting and fishing. The film also captures the beautiful, if unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Great White North, far removed from conventional civilization.

Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers an alarming global conspiracy.

Kristallklar tells the tale of a hidden river holding wild brown trout near the border of Luxembourg and Germany. Find out about this magical river from the perspective of Kirill, who recently acquired the lease to the fishing rights of the river and a small tributary thereof. It captures the essence of a fly fishing adventure on the river embarked on by the incredibly passionate Kirill and two companions: Nic, a fly fishing scientist and Simon, the filmmaker. The film tries to capture the feeling of the magnificent surroundings and being at peace on the river. It also delves into topics of conservation of nature and the plans to re-stock the river with native crayfish which vanished from the river. A lot of love went into this film the hope is that it inspires those around the world to find a love for the outdoors and to preserve it for many years to come and just to get out there and fly fish.

In Paul Brandt’s filming debut, he joins friend Paul Norris and legendary fly-fishing guide, Naoto Aoki, on a journey that is both a look into his consuming passion for fly fishing and an ode to his hometown of Calgary, which he dubs as the World’s Largest Fly Fishing Lodge.

A friendly wager on a family fishing trip to Emerald Isle years ago resulted in one boy’s dream come true. That boy, all grown up, turned his dream come true into a career.

Through economic necessity, an Aran Islander is forced to travel to England to work on building sites so that he can earn money to support his family back on the Islands.

Two friends, both Indigenous fishermen, are driven to desperation by a dying sea. Their friendship begins to fracture as they take very different paths to provide for their struggling families.

The Southern Sea Otter was historically abundant along the California coastline until intense hunting pressures reduced their numbers to near-extinction levels. But now the otters are coming back, and with them they bring the potential for drastic change to the modern-day economics and ecology of the Santa Barbara Channel.