Searching for lost sharks
The movie ‘Jaws’ brought a lot of attention to sharks, both good and bad. The negative consequences of sharks being overfished, culled from popular beaches or fished for sport have been well documented. It is hard to find an article, any article, that does not state and restate that sharks are overfished and populations declining globally. However, rarely reported on is that the movie gave birth to the modern field of shark science.
The field of shark science may eventually have come into its own, but it was this movie that really put sharks in the public conscience. From my perspective, Peter Benchley’s real legacy is having brought the plight of sharks out of the shadows and to the forefront of public attention. Without his timely book and an exceptionally well-made blockbuster movie, the fields of shark science and conservation may never have come into being, and the vast majority of sharks would still remain lost from the public’s conscience, with many suffering dire consequences!
Date: Thursday 2 November 2023, 10.30am (Johannesburg)
The recording of this webinar is available on the SAIAB YouTube Channel below:
