Farmers of the Sea Motion Picture Film Production, 1983-1984

The Farmers of the Sea Motion Picture Films consist of 16 mm pre-print and print film elements of the Farmers of the Sea documentary produced in 1984 by Jim Larison, then Director of Communications for the Oregon State University Sea Grant Program. Other individuals from Oregon State University with roles in the film production include:  Joe Cone (field sound), David A. King (photography) Sandra Ridlington (script research research), and William Q. Wick (executive producer).

The film examines the most recent developments in aquaculture practices at the time, in Japan, China, the United States, Scotland, and Panamá. The film was broadcast by PBS NOVA on November 13th, 1984, and won the International Agricultural Film and Television Competition Award in 1986.

A digital copy of the film can be viewed here.

Synopsis of the film

Farmers of the Sea starts with an introduction about the global crisis of the traditional fishing practices caused by the overexploitation of sea products, presenting aquaculture as the solution to this crisis moving forward, of which the narrator refers to the “blue revolution.”

Following this introduction, the film visits diverse countries around the world, examining their unique approaches to aquaculture, starting with Japan, and continuing with China, the United States, Scotland, back to the United States, Panamá, and finally circling back to Japan.

The first section on Japan includes footage of the Osaka Market, including workers unloading tuna from refrigerated trucks and prepping the fish for sale, as well as a brief interview with the Market’s Manager, Toshio Ataka. Also included is footage of fish-based Japanese meals being prepared and served at a sushi bar, as well as pearl cultivation at the Shikoku Island, including footage of workers collecting clams from floating bamboo structures in the bay and sorting them according to size, color, and quality at the Mikimoto facilities, a Japanese pearl producer company.

Next is China, where China’s ancient history of fish-based diet is addressed. The Chinese preference is carp, which come in many different varieties (Grass carp, Bighead carp, Silver carp, Mud carp, Common carp, and Black carp) and which the Chinese raise using “polyculture,” an aquaculture technique where more than one species are cultivated in the same pond. This section includes footage of these practices in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The first section on the United States, which includes footage of cultivation of catfish and salmon. While catfish is grown in inland ponds that once were used for agriculture, salmon, due to its migratory nature, is cultivated in hatcheries when juvenile and then released to the rivers. This process is explained by James E. Lannan from Oregon State University and featured is the Spring Creek Fish Hatchery.

The section on Scotland. The Scottish raise confined migratory Atlantic salmon, and this section includes footage of workers from the Golden Sea Produce company collecting fish from nets on the sea. The said company is based in Oban, Argyll, Scotland, United Kingdom.

The second section on the United States, four geographic locations are featured to include the cultivation of oysters, shrimp, and freshwater prawn. First, the Chesapeake Bay, where Fisherman Wadey Murphy, owner of the Skipjack Sigsbee company, is interviewed. Murphy represents the more traditional way of fishing oysters. Second is Deal island, where George Krantz from the University of Maryland is interviewed to explain how oyster is produced in the island’s oyster hatchery. Third is Addison Lawrence from the Texas A&M University, who explains how they improved fertility and reproduction rates for their shrimp by using the “shrimp eyestalk ablation” technique. Fourth, and last, the [Maui Nui] hatchery in Hawaii is featured, including footage of the workers in the hatchery as well as an interview with Hawaii's Governor, George Ariyoshi.

Next is Panama, where the US company Purina moved its shrimp aquaculture businesses due to the cheaper labor. Interviewed in this section is the Director of the International Rice Research Institute, M. S. Swaminathan, as well as Richard Pretto, the National Director for Aquaculture Panama. This section also includes footage of the Guaymí Indians, who raise carp and tilapia by using polyculture in inland ponds.

Finally, back to Japan, this time including footage of Nori seaweed cultivation and processing in Nori hatcheries and processing plants in Akashi.

The film’s production and presentation

As with most professional productions, picture and sound were recorded separately for this film production. A 16 mm Arriflex SR-2 camera was utilized for capturing picture on Kodak negative color film stock, and a Nagra IV was utilized for capturing sound on ¼” magnetic stock.

A careful examination of the materials revealed that two versions of the film were made for different presentations: a 60-minute long version for broadcast on the PBS NOVA show, and 30-minute projection prints. In addition to this, two different typographies were employed for the film’s titles. Both typographies were found in different versions of workprint deaccessioned elements, as well as in the retained composite projection prints. However, one of them is the most recurring, being also present in the A&B rolls and the intermediate elements. However, for the 60-minute broadcast version, new titles were created.

Condition of the materials

All film picture, sound, and composite elements in this collection are acetate-based, thus subject to vinegar syndrome deterioration. While elements are in good condition overall, the A&B rolls and the intermediate elements, especially those long stored inside plastic bags before the 2021 rehousing, show signs of vinegar syndrome deterioration starting or actively deteriorating. Because vinegar syndrome is contagious, elements showing this decay were stored separately from those found healthy.

In addition, Farmers of the Sea is a color film, thus the picture and composite elements are subject to color fading. Color fading is the chemical deterioration of the color dyes in color films resulting in the picture turning magenta or purplish. Fading also produces loss of contrast and color balance, with the picture looking washed out. Visual examination of the materials detected fading in the workprint elements that were deaccessioned from this collection, and anticipates this kind of decay being present in other elements, such as the Color Reversal Internegative (CRI), a kind of element prone to rapid fading.