Sympathy for the Devil? The Legacy of Jaws 30 Years Later
Ramón Bonfil, PhD

It was 30 years ago that the first rightfully called “summer blockbuster” hit the screens: Spielberg’s Jaws was a transcendental event. As a kid in my native Mexico City, I stood in line at the front of the theatre, eagerly awaiting the premier screening. I was amazed and scared—and yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. But its impact went far beyond changing the established movie-making and marketing rules of Hollywood; it left a long-lasting negative image of sharks in the public psyche. In the world of Jaws, sharks—particularly great whites—are cold-blooded, man-eating monsters, and mankind would be better off killing them before they kill us.

Today, as a marine biologist who has studied sharks for more than 20 years, I cannot help but feel bittersweet about the effect of Jaws on the world’s shark populations. I have seen hundreds of great whites in the wild and have personally handled dozens for critical tagging studies in both South Africa and New Zealand. I can personally attest that though they are dangerous predators, their behavior is very distant from that of a monster, and they deserve our respect.

 I also know first-hand that sharks are in real trouble, and despite some changes in our attitude, it is nearly impossible to get enough public interest and support for vital research directed toward saving them. Our distorted view of these animals is pervasive. Take for example the recent eruption of a media frenzy revolving around shark attacks on humans and the capture of “monster sharks” for sport. People looking to “vanquish” great whites commonly seek a set of jaws to display as a trophy.

Sharks have been hit hard worldwide in the last four decades through uncontrolled fishing; they are fished for food or caught “accidentally” as bycatch in fishing gear (in which case they inevitably get their valuable fins cut off before being thrown back to the sea dead or alive). Many populations of sharks have since declined by up to 90 percent and are moving rapidly toward being at the risk of extinction. Populations of great white sharks have fallen by 80 percent in the Northwest Atlantic—the very same waters where Jaws supposedly took place—and have been reduced by about 90 percent in the Mediterranean Sea.

Conservationists have been working hard to save sharks in recent years, and some small advances have been made. But still, it is a very different battle than those aimed at saving tigers, lions, dolphins, and whales. Sharks are not cuddly, wide-eyed mammals that easily stir our sympathies. Yet in their own right, they are truly awe-inspiring and magnificent creatures; and as top predators they fulfill a crucial role by helping to maintain the balance and health of marine ecosystems.

It is time for us to grow out of the Jaws-syndrome and learn to view sharks the way we see lions and tigers—as superb wild animals that have an important role in nature and that should be treated with deference and caution, especially when we enter their environment. Instead of focusing on the morbid “attack” aspect of sharks, we should remember that great whites and other sharks need our understanding, help, and commitment if they are to continue to roam the world’s oceans.

To find out more about Dr. Bonfil’s great white shark studies, visit www.wcs.org/greatwhitesharks.

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