Is the 'Jaws' Legacy Still Felt Today?

      A couple of days ago I caught a recent documentary over on Channel 4 called 'Jaws: The Great White Myth' (being a film and shark fan; linked for your viewing pleasure). The programme discussed and interviewed on the impacts on sharks this incredibly popular film had; some positive (such as greater interest in marine biology) and many negative. It really is a good watch, although often depressing, and I found it telling to view the huge extent of the backlash on sharks after the film - many sharks were simply brutally killed all through the heightened fear and ignorance this caused.

     As is clear in the documentary, this was a disastrous and unintended side effect - interviews with the wife of late Jaws author Peter Benchley show how saddened the pair were that a story meant to purely explore what could happen if a predator developed 'a taste for humans' caused so much unnecessary slaughter. The two were so against this unfounded cultivated fear that they spent the remainder of their lives working in shark conservation and discouraging shark killing.

The poster image of the excellent, and unfortunately highly convincing,
Jaws, by Spielberg. Image from this blog post [1] on whether other
shark films live up to Jaws.

     The release of this documentary reminded me of a series of news stories I read over the past summer which I had been meaning to post about (and is also appropriate after our last critically endangered species). This was the debate on whether Great Whites in Australia should be taken off the protected list.

     Towards the end of August, news came in about how 5 fatal attacks in the past year in Western Australia was leading officials and many beach-goers alike to call for action against the species apparently responsible for this higher-than-average figure (see The Guardian's article on the subject; 3). This is despite Great Whites being listed in the area as "rare or likely to become extinct" since 1999. As the article and many since have noted, these sharks are apex predators and hugely important to the maintenance of the marine ecosystem.

     Unfortunately, around a month later The Guardian published a further article here [4] on how the aforementioned Western Australian officials have approved a plan that allows tracking and killing of sharks that venture too near the coast, regardless of any previous sightings or implications in attacks. This is a drastic reversal on the previous policy of species protection, largely due to public fear and pressure (most of which I do believe is down to utter ignorance of shark behaviour). A package of £4.41m has also been made available to aim to reduce the risk of sharks on humans by positive aspects such as further research on patterns of aggression, and negative including the catching and killing of sharks close to shore. The statement from the local government allowing these measures can be found here [6]. 

In Australia, these rare and important sharks can now be
preemptively hunted if they stray too close to beaches.
Image from Science Faction/Cor at [4].

     Many, including myself, believe this to be applying a 'guilty until proven innocent' approach - The Conservation Council of Western Australia issued a statement rejecting this ruling [5]. They state that this drastic measure will not protect swimmers, and additionally will induce further fear in the public by misrepresenting all large sharks as possible killers. They instead, and I agree, urge further research and education into why mistakes like shark attacks happen, that they are not purposeful, and that sharks are not repeatedly implicated.


      I do understand the fear in the public mindset of such a powerful animal and the damage they can inadvertently cause, but when it comes down to it swimmers are knowingly entering the domain of an apex predator. I just don't understand why anyone would have the desire to kill such significant, rare individuals, and even have photos taken in front of a butchered shark as the documentary depicts! How arrogant and ignorant must much of our species be to believe we have the right to kill a species in their adaptive environment that we invade for recreation? (Sorry for this being much like a rant). I can only conclude, based on the imminent killing of the individuals of a vulnerable species, that clearly the fear that Jaws inspired in many is still having a hugely detrimental effect on our biodiversity and ecosystems.



References:
1. Offutt, M. 2012. Is Jaws the only good shark story? [Blog]. <http://slckismet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/is-jaws-only-good-shark-story.html>
2. Channel 4. 2012. Jaws: The Great White Myth. <http://www.channel4.com/programmes/jaws-the-great-white-myth/4od>
3. Rourke, A. at The Guardian. 2012. Fatal attacks prompt call to lift ban on killing great white sharks. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/aug/25/great-white-shark-attacks-australia>
4. Associated Press at The Guardian. 2012. Plan to kill great white sharks that swim too close to Australian beaches. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/28/great-white-sharks-killed-australia>
5. CCWA. 2012. 'Guilty until proven innocent' not the right approach for large sharks. <http://ccwa.org.au/media/%E2%80%98guilty-until-proven-innocent%E2%80%99-not-right-approach-large-sharks>
6. Government of Western Australia. 2012. Shark mitigation to protect beachgoers. <http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Results.aspx?ItemId=151064>