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Running Head: DANGERS OF OVERFISHING

Genre Analysis: Dangers of Overfishing

Giovanni A Hermosillo
University of Texas at El Paso
RWS 1302: Rhetoric and Composition

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Dangers of Overfishing
Overfishing takes place when humans seek more than nature can naturally reproduce and
replenish. Currently, many fish stocks are reaching very low population numbers throughout the
world due to this activity. As technology has advanced fishermen have acquired new equipment
that allows them to capture all kinds of fish throughout the ocean. Consumers may see this as a
wonderful thing, however many of these species are being overfished to the point of extinction.
This issue will be addressed through two different kinds of genres that provide facts on
overfishing and what is being done to save these species. The Netflix original documentary,
Mission Blue, covers to great detail what the real dangers of overfishing are, and the website,
Overfishing.org, which explains why this is an important issue and what can be done to stop it.
Both of these genres, and their different style of approaching the topic will be discussed further
throughout the remainder of the analysis.
Audience and Purpose
The first genre, Mission Blue, is a documentary that was released on January 30, 2014 by
Netflix. Its main purpose is to inform viewers about what has been going on in the ocean in the
recent years by taking us into the life of marine biologist and environmentalist, Sylvia Earle. In
this documentary she explains the changes she has witnessed and what may come in the future if
no changes are made. The second genre, Overfishing.org informs viewers of what can be done
from governmental regulations to what readers can personally do.
The intended audience for the first genre would be younger people that like to be
informed through a personal story in the form of a documentary. People that are interested in

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documentaries and film would also be interested in the first genre. One can infer that the
audience has very basic knowledge of what is happening in the oceans that are affecting these
species. For Overfishing.org, the intended audience are older people that like to get straight to
the facts without the need of a story. Environmentalist and marine biologists who like to read
statistics and research about overfishing would be more interested in the second genre. This
audience would likely more aware of overfishing, however there is information explaining what
overfishing is and why it is a problem for readers with less knowledge on the subject. There is
also a glossary of marine and fisheries terminology, so the audience doesnt need to be too
informed about the topic. Both audiences would likely want to know what is causing these
problems, what species are being
These two genres are different in the way they present they information and the amount
of time that is required to the information. The documentary, Mission Blue, is about an hour and
a half long while the website, Overfishing.org, has a lot of articles and news pertaining to the
subject that can take more time for people to read. The documentary needs to keep throwing
shocking information in order to keep the audience informed and maintain their attention while
keeping up with their storyline. The website does not need to do this because the audience can
turn to another article within the page if the information becomes uninteresting to them.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos and Logos
Both genres have different ways of reaching out and grabbing the readers attention using
the rhetorical appeals in ways that suit them more effectively. A film documentary has more
ways in which it can appeal to the audience considering it uses voice and images to tell talk
about their topic of interest.

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Ethos
The first genre made sure to use a very well-informed marine biologist, Sylvia Earle, who
has many years of experience in order to gain credibility. Earle tells why she pursued her career
as a marine biologist and what it took to get to the position she currently holds working for
National Geographic. This is very effective since she then explains the current situation with
overfishing and many viewers will want to listen to what she has to say. In the second genre, the
websites author also does a very good job at creating credibility by providing scientific research
and citations to all of the articles posted. This shows the viewers where the information is being
obtained and if it is being skewed with some biased agenda.
Pathos
The documentary film uses very well the rhetorical appeal of emotion by creating
sadness, anger, and even hope. Sadness is created by having dramatic music played while the
viewer is shown footage of dead fish and is told that many of these species may not be seen
again. There are many scenes with fish being caught in large amounts or being gutted and thrown
around. Anger can be created when showed the barbaric act of finning, which is when the sharks
are captured and have their fins removed on-board, then thrown back into the ocean where they
will be eaten or drown before hitting the bottom of the ocean. The emotion of hope can be felt
when the viewer understands that there is a chance of saving all these great species, and that
there are great people such as Earle who are so devoted to doing the best they can to prevent
extinction from happening. Being able to see what these effects has a lot more impact to the
viewer than just reading statistics, and the author definitely took advantage of this. Although the
website does try to create some emotion by writing shocking data on overfishing, it really is

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limited compared to the film. The website sticks to the facts and doesnt try to appeal to the
viewers emotions.
Logos
Logic is shown a lot in the first genre by explaining how much humans need the ocean in
order for them to survive, and how much the ocean is affected by these selfish acts. The main
evidence used is all the research marine biologist, Sylvia Earle, has done in all her time of
studying the ocean and the creatures living within. The documentary was very professionally
done and has many people who have researched the topic for many years. The second source
used a lot citations for all of its articles and made sure to back up all of the information provided
with scientific research. The website also listed three things individuals can do to help, which are
to be informed, know what to eat, and spreading the word. The reader can get informed by
articles that are affecting different communities throughout the world. A guide is provided to
choose and eat fish that will have the lowest impact on the marine ecosystem. Spreading the
word is as simple as telling family, friends and colleagues through social media, research papers,
and getting the word out on media.
Structure and Delivery
Considering the difference in time both genres have in order to present their information
to the audience they must organize their information differently. The first genre allows for the
information to be presented in a more informal method in the way of storytelling. The first five
minutes of the documentary were purposely made in order to grasp the viewers attention. The
second genre also has a method of grabbing the viewers attention and this is by making a bold
statement right on the homepage. The website doesnt shy away from using a lot of statistics

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because it knows that the viewers are looking for stuff like that and if they arent then they can
focus their attention on another part of the website.
Conclusion
After analyzing both genres it is clear to conclude that both are great methods of learning
about overfishing. The first genre probably was created in order to make an emotional
connection to the audience, but the second genre was straight to the facts and showed their
audience what they need to know. Overfishing is a dangerously serious topic that more people
need to be aware about and both of these genres do a great job at doing so.

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References:
Nixon, R., & Stevens, F. (Directors). (2014, January 30). Mission Blue [Video file]. In Mission
Blue. Retrieved June 17, 2016.

Koster, P. (2011, February 11). Overfishing- A global disaster. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from
http://overfishing.org/