In our second episode, Footprints in the Sand, we take measure of humanity’s impact on the sea since we first settled along its coasts over 150,000 years ago. We travel to the Mediterranean Sea with local Spanish fishermen in search of the magnificent bluefin tuna, the most prized fish in the ocean. It’s also one of the most overfished. As fishermen try to maintain their centuries-old method of fishing, conservation scientists are desperate to find hard evidence to support their side in the heated debate over quotas. Human activity through history – first overfishing, then over-development of the world’s coastlines, and the continuing pollution that we pour into the sea – have had unexpected consequences. But as Footprints in the Sand reveals, marine protected areas can have a huge impact on an ecosystem’s ability to recover. Zanzibar is a place where the people have always depended on fish for their survival. There, locals are finding ways to live in balance with the ocean by using more sustainable approaches to their harvests, and also by creating a sense of communal ownership and stewardship. In New Zealand, we discover that ocean areas which are now protected have experienced an extraordinary turn-around – where once sea urchins had taken over and destroyed the reefs and kelp forests, top predators have returned and the stunning reef has been restored to its full glory.
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Ready to Watch One Ocean, Season 1, Episode 2?