Stories of mangled divers and surfers often come to mind when people hear the word “shark”. However, sharks weren’t always viewed as the bloodthirsty predators we see them as. Before the shark attack in New Jersey, 1916, people debated on fwhether or not a shark could even bite a human. That changed however when four people were attacked, spurring on a wave of mass hysteria, sweeping the East Coast with fear. From then on, there was a wariness of sharks. This fear was only further cemented when the vicious image of Bruce, the killer Great White shark from Jaws, has permeated our image and perception of sharks for decades. Since the release of the movie in 1975, society’s outlook on sharks has vastly changed. Series like Shark Week have also contributed to the further hysteria about sharks despite claiming the opposite. Even Steven Spielberg, the director of Jaws regrets the impact the movie had on how people viewed sharks. “That’s one of the things I still fear—not to get eaten by a shark, but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fishermen that happened after 1975,” (Spielberg)
With the public eye quickly turning on sharks, it allowed for rampant hunting and overfishing, leading to sharp declines in populations following the 1970s. While trophy hunting is one part of the issue, one of the major factors to the decline in shark populations is overfishing. As a result of lax legislation and guidelines, fisheries have been putting massive amounts of pressure on not just mainstream fish, but sharks as well. Sharks often get caught in large fishing nets as by catch. Since large fishing nets are indiscriminate, all sorts of fish species are caught. Species such as the Oceanic White Tip shark have seen significant decline in population as a result of overfishing.
On a positive note, due to interest in sharks, whether it be fear or fascination, research has skyrocketed. Scientists have been able to research the importance of sharks and their role in the ocean as an apex predator. Since the 70s, research dedicated to marine life has improved and expanded immensely. Acts such as the Endangered Species Act were implemented to help overfishing and provide protection to vulnerable species. Alongside that, conservation efforts and awareness have increased significantly in comparison to the past.
Works Cited
Brown, Elizabeth. “How a century of fear turned deadly for sharks.” Florida Museum, 26 June 2016, https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/how-a-century-of-fear-turned-deadly-for-sharks/. Accessed 8 July 2023.
Germain, Jacquelyne. “Steven Spielberg Regrets How 'Jaws' Impacted Real-World Sharks.” Smithsonian Magazine, 20 December 2022, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/steven-spielberg-regrets-how-jaws-impacted-real-world-sharks-180981335/. Accessed 28 June 2023.
Hopkins, Rachel, and KerriLynn Miller. “Alarming Decline in Shark Populations Points to Need for Stricter Conservation Measures.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, 9 March 2021, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/03/09/alarming-decline-in-shark-populations-points-to-need-for-stricter-conservation-measures. Accessed 8 July 2023.
Romeo, Jess. “Sharks Before and After Jaws.” JSTOR, 14 August 2020. Accessed 7 July 2023.
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