2009: Fishlove released the first Rankin collection to help promote the documentary "The End of the Line". The series featured Greta Scacchi, Richard E Grant, Terry Gilliam and Emilia Fox. Greta's photograph appeared in every major UK newspaper and became perhaps the first example of a meme, a media sensation around the world. The Observer's Jay Rayner wrote, "In the months and years to come, this picture of Greta Scacchi will doubtless come to be seen as the seminal image when the gruelling, knotty business of campaigning around food issues finally became sexy." Greta was invited to 10 Downing Street to talk to the then Labour government about making fishing more sustainable.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating over a decade of action to end overfishing!
Since 2009, the Fishlove campaign has been at the forefront of the battle against overfishing, striving to restore the balance of the oceans. Our Fish is working with Fishlove because we believe that ending overfishing is not only achievable but also the key to decisive EU action on climate change, bolstered by the presence of healthy marine ecosystems. Fish are carbon engineers – the keystones of the ocean’s biological pump, the system constantly at work capturing and storing excess carbon from the atmosphere. It is our responsibility to give them the space and protection they need to perform their vital role.
As you explore the captivating portraits within the exhibition at the Esplanade in front of the European Parliament, you will witness major celebrities such as Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, Jean-Marc Barr, Sean Penn and many more, joining us in sending a resounding message: the ocean needs our urgent protection for the sake of future generations. The courage and inspiration these celebrities have shown through their involvement in the Fishlove campaign is truly remarkable. We believe that ambition is not contagious, but inspiration is. During this EU Ocean Week, we invite you to join us in finding inspiration from their commitment and taking action to protect our oceans.
EU decision-makers have a crucial role to play in this mission. It is time for them to be as bold as the celebrities captured in these portraits. Our Fish and Fishlove call upon the European Commission, Parliament and EU Member States to transform fisheries management so that it can contribute to climate action and achieve a just transition to low impact and low carbon fishing practices.
The clock is ticking – the next decade of ocean climate action is critical.
In Brussels? Come visit, Ending EU Overfishing: The Decade Past and the Decade to Come photographic exhibition featuring 20 Fishlove celebrities from the EU, UK and US – posing naked with fish. Where? On the Esplanade outside the EU Parliament.
Can’t make it to Brussels? Watch the FishLove slideshow here, or discover the complete collection of fishlove portraits at the Fishlove website.
This exhibition marks the end of six years of the Our Fish campaign. We now pass the baton to our colleagues at Oceana, Seas At Risk and ClientEarth to continue to demand political action that responds to the urgency of the planetary crisis we face.
Press release: Celebrities Expose Naked Truth of How Overfishing Continues in European Waters
Gillian Anderson
Benja Bruijning, Judi Dench, Melanie Barnier
Soenil Bahadoer, Tom Wlaschiha