So it is officially Shark Week on the Discovery Channel where they are highlighting "shark attacks, killer sharks, rouge sharks" and every other negative aspect about sharks that a human can concentrate on. I feel as though the entire week is garbage and is used to draw audiences through "fear". The Consortium for Ocean Leadership posted an article regarding the population decrease of sharks in the ocean due to human activities. I found the article to be very interesting and I would like to highlight specific parts of the article.
Many people have completely irrational fears of shark attacks when they swim in the ocean. But you argue "how come I hear about shark attacks on the news?" That is because 1. the news focuses on anything dangerous, bad or horrible happening to any person and 2. more & more people are getting in contact with sharks, not the other way around. More people are living near the ocean than ever, with 16 million people living in Florida it is inevitable that people will be in the ocean the same time sharks are. The article "Foreign Policy: Sharks Swimming With The Fishes?" is where much of my information for this article has been obtained and I urge you to read the article.
Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws, is a great proponent of ocean conservation and shark preservation. Before his death, Peter Benchley consistently tried to promote education regarding sharks due to his regret for every writing Jaws. Much of the public has misconceptions regarding sharks come from watching Jaws which when written during its time was accurate and up to date. But now, with modern science and an explosion of interest in sharks puts them in a different light.
1. Sharks do not knowingly search out humans to consume
2. Attacks are a case of mistaken identity
3. Sharks will attack to protect their territory
4. Over 100 million sharks are killed a year
5. You are more likely to die from fireworks, a bee sting, getting struck by lightening or even a coconut falling on you than a shark attack
Most of my facts have been collected from an article written by Peter Benchley himself trying to shed a better light on these predators than the movie industry and the Discovery Channel. So, please find something else to watch on TV besides Shark Week and pay respect to sharks because in reality we are the predator for them.
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