Four marine observers vanish at sea under suspicious circumstances, this gripping investigation uncovers why. Travelling from Fiji to Ghana, Spain to the US, this powerful film reveals the dark underbelly of the global tuna trade, where profit outweighs human life and environmental destruction is buried beneath the waves.
Fatal Watch is a harrowing and quietly powerful documentary that exposes the deeply troubling underbelly of industrial fishing—an industry most people associate with little more than the fish on their plate. Directed by Mark Benjamin and Katie Carpenter, this 88-minute feature delves into a world where oversight is minimal, regulations are easily circumvented, and human lives are expendable when they get in the way of profit.
At its core, Fatal Watch tells the story of fisheries observers—scientifically trained individuals assigned to fishing vessels to document catch data and monitor compliance with international laws. However, these observers often find themselves in extremely dangerous positions. Isolated on boats hundreds of kilometres offshore, they are surrounded by crew members who may view them as a threat to their livelihoods. The documentary reveals that more than twenty observers have gone missing or died under suspicious circumstances in recent years. Few of these cases have received adequate investigation, and many have simply been written off as accidents.
Through intimate interviews, archival material, and investigative footage, the film captures the human toll of this crisis. The stories of four observers who vanished or were killed serve as the emotional backbone of the narrative. Their families speak with both grief and outrage about the lack of transparency surrounding their loved ones’ fates. Each story adds to a growing picture of systemic neglect and institutional failure.
The filmmakers skillfully combine this personal angle with a broader critique of the fishing industry. Industrial fishing fleets operate with near impunity in international waters, where enforcement is lax or non-existent. The promise of oversight provided by observers is revealed to be more symbolic than real. As one expert in the film puts it, these observers are not there to stop illegal practices—they are there to make it look like someone is watching.
This performative oversight is reminiscent of the way plastic manufacturers promote recycling as a solution to pollution, while continuing to churn out products that end up in landfills and the oceans. In the same vein, fishing companies point to the presence of observers as proof of compliance, even as they engage in blatant overfishing, illegal dumping, and other environmentally destructive behaviours. Observers who speak up are offered bribes, threatened, or worse. Some "fall overboard" without a trace. It’s a chilling pattern.
While Fatal Watch is rich in detail, it does not offer solutions, nor does it pretend to. Instead, it opens a window into a world most viewers will find both shocking and infuriating. Digital surveillance and artificial intelligence are mentioned as possible future tools to reduce human risk, but the film remains sceptical. After all, if industries can fake compliance with human oversight, how much easier might it be to falsify digital data?
The film is careful not to cast blame solely on the companies or governments involved. It also holds up a mirror to consumers and global trade networks. Fish is one of the most widely traded food commodities, and nearly half the world’s population relies on it as a major source of protein. The demand is unrelenting, and this demand fuels an industry willing to cut corners—and people—to deliver supply.
Visually, Fatal Watch is understated. It avoids sensationalism, instead choosing to let the facts and testimonies speak for themselves. This restraint adds to its credibility. The pacing is deliberate, even slow at times, but always purposeful. It allows the weight of each story to land, to be felt. Some viewers may find the repetition of certain images or themes heavy, but this repetition serves a narrative purpose: it underscores the systematic nature of the violence and the global scale of the problem.
The documentary is a wake-up call to the international community, and to everyday consumers. The film draws attention not only to environmental degradation but to the human cost of that degradation. These are not isolated incidents. This is a structural failure.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of Fatal Watch is the sense of helplessness it captures—not as a flaw, but as a reality. The audience is not offered a call to action, because there are no easy answers. Governments benefit financially from the status quo. Regulatory agencies are under-resourced. International cooperation is slow. And meanwhile, observers continue to go missing.
This makes Fatal Watch a difficult but essential watch. It challenges us to rethink our assumptions about sustainability, legality, and ethical consumption. It is not just a film about the deaths of a few brave individuals. It is about the structures that made those deaths invisible, and the systems that continue to permit them.
Fatal Watch is a sobering exploration of how corruption, violence, and profit have shaped an industry operating largely out of sight. It is not just about fish. It is about people. It is about accountability. And it is about how far we’re willing to go—or not go—to protect the truth.
Directed by Mark Benjamin, Katie Carpenter | 88 mins | United States | English | International Premiere – Tides of Change Category
Screening at the Doc Edge documentary festival, in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and online from 25 June.