Well, people, what an incredibly long drop it's been since the electrifying National Geographic TV specials of my youth, whose mere opening theme notes would raise the hair on my neck.
It seems almost like the scenario of a post-apocalyptic surrealist satire, unimaginable just a few years back: National Geographic Channel has been bought out by Fox, is "joint-venturing" with the disgraceful and disgraced Rupert Murdoch, and creating programming to push Bill O'Reilly's books. And, well -- National Geographic Channel will be killing endangered species for entertainment.
They've just announced the new unscripted show: Wicked Tuna.
Awesome, eh? Already, we have: a smiling face and a dead, rather small, bluefin tuna.
Here, in 2012, I find the premise revolting. Despicable.
And therefore, it's bound to be a crowd pleaser as National Geographic Channel aims to lead in Cable's race to the bottom.
The thrilling tagging of giant fish as scientists track their migrations across oceans might have provided the show's rationale, but that's clearly too intellectual (though all the other elements of cable success are there: adventure, personal drama (the tagging involves grad students), seasickness, profanity).
Things the National Geographic Channel had to ignore: Atlantic bluefin, a focus of bitter international conservation fights for over two decades now, have been described as "collapsed" in the titles of two peer-reviewed science journal publications (here and here); a bluefin tuna population that once lived in the South Atlantic was wiped out in the 1960s; and Atlantic bluefin tuna are listed "endangered" by IUCN.
Maybe the thinking is, "This show will support the endangered listing by helping maintain and expand the this tuna's international endangered status."
(Also, gotta love that the only way the Nat Geo channel could do two hours on Abraham Lincoln is to base it on the book that lists Bill O'Reilly as its author. No other source matter on Lincoln exists, apparently.)
What a load of shame.
I can envision next season's press release: On "National Geographic's Surf and Turf," Bill O'Reilly goes shark-finning with Rosie O'Donnell; and the political banter is to kill for! Then, on the all-new "Gorillas in the Mint" -- a thrilling "high-stakes" hunt for great apes with celebrity chefs. "They taste great to some people, and we've got to respect that," the venerated network says, "and with their growing scarcity, the price is real good now." "Supply and demand," quipped O'Reilly, adding, "Free enterprise isn't free. It comes at a cost."
Follow Carl Safina on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarlSafina
We don’t have it on our channel list as we don’t want our children to watch it. Not that they would in any case. As a teacher I included discussion of bad TV and the deficiencies of such. The students all agree it is a channel to avoid.
I would shed no tears if it goes off the air. Actually, I would give a sigh of relief.
" well people " since you are not capable of your own independent thought based on facts . Let me tell you how to think !!!
Bluefin are not endangered . The size of the fish pretty much proves it . Although I'm am not omnipotent like Carl here.
That fish goes along with the many we see in the 400 to 800 lb class as well as a good number that beak the 1000 lb class . And most of the big really big ones over 1200 lbs get away but not all . Then there is the countless number under the US 73 inch minimum size limit ( largest in the world . Which many are tagged for study . All this suggests the opposite of the one sided " last of the buffalo " myth created by greenbeans to raise money . Any biologist with two spoonfuls of brains will tell you a diverse age and size structure is one of thr signs of a healthy spawning stock biomass
Mr. Sarfina, however, refers ONLY to recommendations for Atlantic tuna conservation made by a non-governmental organization, IUCN (which he doesn't even take the time to characterize).
It's entirely predictable that an NGO would take a risk-averse approach toward fisheries for ideological reasons. Meanwhile, the actual regulatory bodies set and enforce fishing quotas to conserve populations without resorting to hysteria. There is much evidence in recent years showing NOAA's policies are helping Atlantic tuna stocks to rebuild. Maybe if Huffpost payed their reporters they'd have the resources to produce a balanced argument here, instead of a disconnected screed.
-Matthew J. Webster
Maybe advertise on the main stream channels so we know whats going on. Instead of channels of biker/car/crab building and hunting. I miss learning from the learning channel and getting history from the history channel...