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The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Public policy expert hails 50th anniversary of movie Jaws (even with flaws) for helping sharks
When Steven Spielberg's smash hit film Jaws opened in theatres in June 1975, it kindled a worldwide panic about shark bites that led many sharks to die by human hands. But as the original summer blockbuster nears its 50th anniversary, an expert on the politics of shark attacks has said it also deserves qualified praise for getting more people involved with shark conservation. Jaws 'provided the justification for, and weakened push-back against, all the anti-shark public policies that followed," acknowledged Chris Pepin-Neff, a public policy lecturer at the University of Sydney, in an article for Scientific American on Monday. "Yet, at 50 years old, Jaws is also a celebration of sharks, creating a fascination that helped lead to more than two generations of new shark researchers,' he writes. For nearly 20 years, Pepin-Neff has been studying how politicians in Australia and beyond respond to shark attacks, including how they draw on filmic examples to justify their actions — a phenomenon Pepin-Neff calls the " Jaws Effect.' They argue that interventions such as shark hunts, anti-shark netting, and baited traps do little to keep swimmers safe and do great harm to marine wildlife, propping up a false belief that the ocean can be governed by human institutions. "Initially, the movie's biggest impact was to portray shark bites as intentional "attacks" on swimmers," Pepin-Neff wrote. "[This] fictional story of the human-shark relationship ... has been one of the most successful Hollywood narratives in motion picture history.' The public 'believed this story of intentionality so completely that every shark bite was essentially a murder, and every shark a potential murderer, and the beach was the scene of a crime by a deviant monster against innocent beachgoers,' he notes. Shark populations have dropped drastically over the past few decades, and the film reportedly inspired a short-term burst of trophy fishing off the coast of the US. However, it's not clear how much Jaws had to do with the overall decline, because sharks are hunted commercially to make shark fin soup in far greater numbers than are killed for sport – or 'retaliation' or fear. Either way, Pepin-Neff also notes how many people involved with the making of the film later became strong advocates of shark protection, such as diver and documentarian Valerie Taylor and scientific consultant Leonard Compagno. Peter Benchley, who wrote the original novel that Spielberg's film is adapted from, spoke out frequently in support of sharks and wrote a book arguing that humans caused them more trouble than the other way around. 'Please, in the name of nature, do not mount a mindless assault on an endangered animal for making an innocent — however tragic — mistake,' he wrote in an open letter in 2000, urging Australians not to kill a shark that had recently killed a human. 'This was not a rogue shark, tantalized by the taste of human flesh and bound now to kill and kill again. Such creatures do not exist, despite what you might have derived from Jaws.' Spielberg too has said he "truly regrets" the impact Jaws had on sharks, joking that they might be "somehow still mad at [him] for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fishermen that happened after 1975.' "Today, humanity has grown to have a better appreciation for all sharks, even those that swim near the beach," concluded Pepin-Neff. "We owe some of the public sentiment that it's 'safe to go back in the water' to Jaws.
CBS News
26-05-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Why researchers in Massachusetts are putting cameras on great white sharks
Researchers on Cape Cod are using "shark spy technology" again this summer to monitor the movements of sharks and help keep people safe in the waters off Massachusetts. Memorial Day weekend is usually around the time when shark sightings begin off Cape Cod. Earlier this month, the first sighting of the season was reported when a great white shark was seen biting a seal off Nantucket. Atlantic White Shark Conervancy Megan Winton, senior scientist at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, said researchers for a second straight summer will be attempting to put cameras onto the backs of some sharks when they tag them. The camera tags are used to get a view from the shark's perspective. "We're using the latest and greatest in shark spy technology as I like to call it to learn more about the movements and the behaviors of these animals here when they're off of Cape Cod as well as when they move north into Canadian waters," Winton said. It helps researchers study interactions between sharks and fishermen. "Cape Cod Bay is very similar but very different to the outer Cape, so we're going to learn more about how the shark are using that environment there and we're also hoping to get better information on interactions with fishermen, because every year we get more and more reports of white sharks stealing fish off of fisherman's lines because for a shark that's a free snack, right? And who doesn't like free snacks?" When are sharks in Massachusetts waters? White shark activity in New England peaks in July, August and September. As the water begins to cool, the sharks start to swim south. Winton said information learned by tagging sharks keeps people safe. "It's really important for us to understand not only how they're feeding on seals here, but what they're doing in the shallow water off our beaches so we can provide that information to the people, to the towns, to the beach managers so everyone can be shark smart when they go to the beach this summer," Winton said.
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Shark Bites In French Polynesia Reveal A Hidden Side Of Shark Behavior
Sharks have long been cast as ruthless, mindless predators, a fear so deeply ingrained that it has ... More fueled an entire genre of Hollywood horror films. Sharks have long been cast as ruthless, mindless predators, a fear so deeply ingrained that it has fueled an entire genre of Hollywood horror films. Yet a long-term study from French Polynesia shows that sometimes, when sharks bite humans, it is not out of predatory instinct… but rather self-defense. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Eric Emile Germain Clua of the Paris Science et Lettres (PSL) Research University, have reviewed over 60 years of shark bite data and found that activities like spearfishing and handling fish traps often trigger a defensive response. In such cases, the sharks react immediately to human aggression, typically inflicting superficial wounds that are rarely fatal unless unfortunate circumstances, like arterial damage, occur. These defensive bites lack the typical signs seen when a shark attacks out of fear or predation, such as pectoral fin lowering or hunched swimming, and usually involve little tearing of flesh or removal of tissue. Unlike predatory attacks, where significant injury and loss of flesh are common, self-defense bites are swift, sometimes repeated, but comparatively mild. The waters of French Polynesia, home to over 30 shark species within a 2.1 million square mile (5.5 million km²) exclusive economic zone, provide a unique environment to study shark-human interactions. Since the area was declared a shark sanctuary in 2006, the shark populations have remained relatively healthy, offering a rare opportunity to observe these interactions over decades. The team found that bites classified as self-defense were exclusively initiated after a human acted aggressively toward a shark. Harpooning, speargun strikes, and even rough handling were common triggers. In most cases, the resulting injuries were minor to moderate, reinforcing the idea that the shark's intent was not to hunt or consume but to respond to a perceived threat. The idea that wild animals defend themselves when threatened is not new. Birds, bears, and even snakes and spiders regularly react defensively to human provocation. However, detailed documentation of this behavior in sharks has been lacking until now. Earlier mentions of defensive shark bites were anecdotal or speculative, without comprehensive data, the scientists argue. But this new analysis confirms that sharks, like many terrestrial animals, may bite defensively when cornered or attacked. Out of all the cases reviewed, a small but consistent percentage — about 5% over a 15-year span — involved self-defense motivations. These incidents were concentrated in areas like the Tuamotu archipelago, where traditional fishing practices remain common. Sharks biting in self-defense reminds us that they are not villains of the ocean but animals trying ... More to survive in a world increasingly dominated by humans. The new study also highlights an important caution I personally hope everyone heeds: distressed sharks should not be handled by untrained people. Even a wounded or trapped shark can lash out reflexively, and in these moments, the bite is not calculated or proportionate. Rather, it is an instinctive act of survival, much like a bear swatting at a perceived threat or a bird pecking at an intruder near its nest. By shifting the narrative to acknowledge human responsibility, public attitudes toward sharks could not only become more balanced, but can help prevent unnecessary injuries to both humans and sharks. Sharks are already facing numerous threats from overfishing, habitat loss, and climate change. Misrepresenting their behavior only adds to the challenges they face by justifying unnecessary fear and sometimes lethal retaliation. Understanding the motivations behind shark bites is crucial for developing non-lethal management strategies. As human presence in marine environments grows, so too does the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict (in French Polynesia alone, an estimated 200,000 spearfishing sessions happen annually). Just as we have learned to modify our everyday behaviors around bears, snakes, and other wildlife to reduce conflicts, we can do the same for animals at sea. Avoiding unnecessary provocation of sharks, educating ocean users about shark behavior, and promoting respectful coexistence can lower risks for both sides. Ultimately, by respecting their space and understanding their responses, we can work toward safer waters and a better future for sharks and people alike.
