American Fisheries: A Cautionary Tale

Drawing on the sometimes contradictory perspectives of stakeholders, this stirring film by Bailey Pryor reveals an epic story that stretches from the age of sail, to what may become an age of sustainability.

The film lets fishermen, ecologists, fisheries managers, and historians convey very different perspectives in their own unscripted words and features HMAP researchers Andy Rosenberg and Bill Leavenworth. But the star of the film is the cod, and its perspective is imagined and created using animation and underwater film footage. Its artistic presentation makes this film stand out, while at the same time effectively combining strong points of view into one complex story. The attention to art, science, history, and personal testimony make it virtually unique among environmental documentaries.