Mafia on the high seas - The truth behind illegal fishing | DW Documentary

Every fifth fish caught in the sea is fished by illegal fleets. This is a scandal with serious consequences for the entire marine ecosystem. Species are threatened with extinction, as mafia-like companies are often behind the illegal fishing.

Paul Watson is the founder of the non-governmental organization Sea Shepherd, which fights the exploitation of marine life. He warns, "If the sea dies, we die." With its ships, Sea Shepherd regularly tries to track down illegal fishing fleets and prevent them from carrying out their illegal activities.

But behind this kind of illegal fishing are groups organized like mafias. After all, this business at sea is as lucrative as the drug trade. The people involved are often victims: Sailors from Burma, Thailand and Cambodia who work up to 22 hours a day on ageing boats. They are modern-day slaves who have no rights and work for very little pay. If they resist, there is nothing to stop the captain from sending them overboard into the water. Are the seas the new Wild West?

The film takes us to Spain, where Antonio Vidal, head of an illegal fishery, lived before his death; to Indonesia, where the former fisheries minister waged a war against pirates; and to France, where Paul Watson currently resides.

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