The Jaws Effect: biting review finds shark policy based on movie myths

The Jaws Effect: biting review finds shark policy based on movie myths. December 2014 - The film Jaws has heavily influenced Western Australia's stance on sharks, a review of over a decade of state government policy has found. Dr Christopher Neff of the University of Sydney has examined the narratives and shark hunt policies implemented by different WA Governments between 2000 and 2014 and found striking similarities to the 1975 Spielberg classic. "In particular, the Western Australian Government's current 'Imminent Threat' policy to catch and kill 'rogue' sharks is predicated on Hollywood fiction," says Dr Neff, a lecturer in public policy at the University's Department of Government and International Relations. In October this year, the West Australian government withdrew an application to the federal government to extend its drumline policy, albeit securing permission to kill sharks deemed by the government to pose 'imminent threat' to beachgoers. "This policy is using myths as the basis for killing sharks that are protected by law and which provides no real beach safety," says Dr Neff.