Sir David Attenborough admits 'if this doesn't work, I don't know what will' as he turns 99

Sir David Attenborough is optimistic that his Ocean film, and book, will have the biggest impact of his 70-year film-making career. Colin Butfield has worked with him on both projects and says the natural history veteran, who turns 99 today, firmly believes that the call for industrial to be banned in 1/3 of the ocean could bring about monumental change.

The film-maker and author told the : “At the screening this week David got a standing ovation from 2,200 people and he was really delighted. He said to me,’This might just change something. And if it doesn’t, I don’t know what will.’

The film, specifically shot and designed to be watched on the big screen ahead of next month’s UN Ocean conference in France, shows how quickly our seas can recover if simply left alone. The problems are caused by super trawlers, often not headquartered in the UK, which hoover up everything and cause widespread destruction on the sea-bed.

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“We needed to show the ocean at its most spectacular and at its most damaged,” Colin explains. “And we wanted to film places which had actually recovered and show it on a massive scale. It’s persuasive when you can see what can be achieved.”

Colin, who has collaborated with on several previous projects, said the idea to campaign for change by charting 100 years of the ocean came about three years ago. “Back at the start, David said, ‘If actually we pulled this off, the ocean in 50 years could be richer than anyone alive has ever seen it.’

Colin said he would be “stunned” if anyone watching the film didn’t come away thinking that some fishing methods are destroying the environment and, if fixed it, it could bounce back really fast. “This would massively help with tackling climate change as well,” he explains, saying that the responsibility for this now lies with governments. “They can easily, almost at the stroke of a pen, make this decision,” Colin said. “It’s one of those rare chances for politicians to do something that is fundamentally good.”

The team behind Ocean, now showing in cinemas, is optimistic that the strategy can work. “If you protect 1/3 of the ocean the bounce back would be so big that we’d be able to catch much more fish than we catch today. Economically this is a no-brainer - and it’s great for the UK’s fishing communities who will benefit.”

It’s not just our children and grandchildren that will benefit, it’s all of us. “This could have a massive impact within a decade.”

Sir David may be one year away from his centenary, but he remains unassailable when it comes to natural history presentation. Colin said: “It’s incredible. He has that way of turning it into something so much better than if anybody else did it. It’s his lived experience - I’d wager he’s seen more of the natural than any person that’s ever lived. How do you replace that? You just can’t. He’s a one off.

“I genuinely think he’ll never retire. His scripts are exceptional, I honestly think it’s some of the best work he’s ever done. His pieces to camera - I’ve never seen him do better. He’s such a genius. If he can write like this now, why stop?”

After all the excitement of the past few days, Sir David planned to celebrate his birthday quietly today, with close family.

“Two days ago we had the massive film premiere, then last night he had the book launch with” Colin said. “I think today he’s going to have quite a chilled day, with a family dinner and a couple of glasses of wine. He deserves it.”

- Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness, published by John Murray Press, out now in hardback, £28

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