Justin Clarke, a blogger for the Examiner.com, shares his opinion about conservation plans aimed at protecting sharks. I’m not sure if he’s being serious or if this an attempt at humor, but either way it echoes of the Everything-I-Know-About-Sharks-Is-What-I-Learned-From-Jaws mentality. To the author’s defense, he does mention learning about sharks on The Discovery Channel, as well, so maybe he didn’t learn everything from Jaws. Mr. Clarke’s statements include:

“…I think the desirable number of great white sharks is zero.”

and

“Sharks are the ocean’s Nazis, indiscriminate murderers with black eyes and no souls.”

While Mr. Clarke is entitled to his opinions, classifying sharks as “indiscriminate murderers” is a fairly baseless accusation. Considering that the general accepted definition of murder is the unlawful killing of another human being, I think it’s safe to say that Mr. Clarke is giving a vast majority of the world’s sharks a bum rap. I won’t get into the theological implications of sharks having “no souls.” However, I am quite certain that not all sharks have “black eyes,” despite what Quint might have told Brody and Hooper in Jaws.  Lemon sharks and reef sharks come to mind, right off the bat, as having light-colored eyes. In fact, even great white sharks have a blue iris to break the “black eye” stereotype.

Great White Shark Eye

The author also goes on to make light of the finning industry and likens conservation efforts to wasteful spending.

The entire article can be found at the Examiner.com.