‘Jaws’: The Aftermath CYRA

By Cyra

Since the release of ‘Jaws’ in 1975, the image of sharks has been violently changed. Although sharks were responsible for only 73 unprovoked bites worldwide last year, they carry a dangerous reputation that everyone is wary of. A foundation of their reputation was formed by the novel, and later the film, ‘Jaws’ by Peter Benchley. Prior to the release of ‘Jaws’, there was little information about sharks and as a result, few considered them a threat. In fact, in 1940, in the book ‘The fishes of Australia, Part 1, Sharks’, author Gilbert P. Whitney stated ‘we have very little to fear’ from sharks, which comforted only the few that even believed in their existence. However, when Steven Spielberg’s movie adaptation of ‘Jaws’ was released in 1975, the fantastical concept of a monstrous, man-eating shark became the face of the species that people had never heard of before. The first film grossed $7,061,573 within the first 3 days of release, later becoming the first film in history to earn $100 million at the box office. This was followed by four sequels that were released in the following 12 years. The excitement and terror of the public was quickly exploited by the media and triggered what ichthyologist George H. Burgess described as ‘the beginning of the end’ for the shark species, causing the shark populations to plunge in the ensuing decades. Since 1970 and 2018, the population of oceanic sharks and rays had decreased by more than 70%, with up to 100 million sharks killed per year.

‘Jaws’, along with other shark representations in pop-culture, has led to the persecution of sharks. Persecution means we are more likely to use lethal measures, rather than available non-lethal measures to avoid contact, because we feel threatened. Persecution is the persistent hostility towards something on the basis of their identity. The minor threat of a shark attack is avoided by culling and hunting them, although the statistics of this encounter are very low. The mostly likely place to be attacked by a shark is California, where the possibility of being attacked is 1 in 17 million. In Western Australia 2013, the government implemented a cull of all Tiger, Bull and White sharks over 3 metres, in response to a series of 7 attacks in the last 3 years. The cull divided the nation, with over 100 sharks snared, until it was halted by the states’ environmental regulators. On top of this, the use of shark nets is responsible for the death of approximately 12 sharks every week in Australia, with 6,090 killed since 2012. Although they have been proven to kill sharks, the government still allows the use of shark nets over safer methods. Non-lethal alternatives include beach patrols and early prevention methods, but they remain broadly unused in most countries.

‘Jaws’ has lead to a lack of understanding and awareness about the Great White species, and sharks in general. Studies on public perception of marine wildlife have shown that those who have more knowledge and a positive attitude towards animals, such as sharks, are more likely to support/aid their conservation. Sharks are critically important for a healthy ocean. They control food webs, cycle nutrients and promote biodiversity that has struggled since their recent decline. Sharks have been thriving in our oceans for over 400 million years, however in the last 30 years, their global population has decreased by approximately 90%. We kill roughly 1 million times more sharks than people killed by sharks per year, but we are starting to make a change for the better. If we can create a supportive and educated public, we can begin to embrace the return of sharks to their habitats and move towards restoring the health of our dying ocean.

REFERENCES

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26937924 www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-29170035

www.discoveryuk.com/sharks/the-most-dangerous-sharks-in-the-world/ Friedrich, L., Jefferson, R. and Glegg, G., 2014. Public perceptions of sharks: Gathering support for shark conservation. Marine Policy, 47, pp.1-7. Hammerschlag, N., Schmitz, O., Flecker, A., Lafferty, K., Sih, A., Atwood, T., Gallagher, A., Irschick, D., Skubel, R. and Cooke, S., 2019. Ecosystem Function and Services of Aquatic Predators in the Anthropocene. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 34(4), pp.369-383. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/shark-finning-sharks-turned-prey https://saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/threats/overfishing https://saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/threats/persecution https://saveourseas.com/why-are-sharks-important/ https://saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/