Sharks, the media, and risk perception

This post is a little off topic, but still about something relevant to human-wildlife conflict: people's perception of high (or perceived high) conflict species. In this case, sharks. This post will talk about how people's negative perception of sharks is likely exacerbated by the media, and why that could be leading us to unnecessarily kill sharks in the name of safety. This is definitely not a new concept, but one that needs more air time.

Human-Shark Conflict

Source: Sharks-World

People have an obsession with sharks. Maybe it's their ferocity, their cold, calculating demeanor, their inordinate number of teeth, or just the fact that they exist in the water, where you can't see them until its too late. Whatever it is, you can't swing a dead cat on the internet without hitting a shark post. Here is another one.