An Adelaide University researcher has found that Australians who know more about sharks fear them less and are more willing to support conservation. Juliana Gleaves's work challenges a decades-long narrative that has shaped public views since Jaws hit theaters in 1975, 51 years ago.
Gleaves examined how exposure and education affect attitudes toward sharks. Her initial findings showed that people with better knowledge felt significantly less fear and were more likely to support efforts to save them. The timing matters: global shark populations have plunged more than 70 per cent since the 1970s, and around 500 species worldwide face pressure from overfishing, habitat loss, and other human activity.
Knowledge Over Hysteria
The study focuses on conservation psychology and will examine how movies and media reporting shape people's views of sharks. In a later stage, Gleaves will use virtual reality to test whether an immersive experience in which people can "swim" with sharks behaving neutrally encourages more positive views and greater concern for shark conservation. Gleaves acknowledged that Jaws—in which Robert Shaw played shark hunter Quint—inadvertently harmed sharks' public image, even as it sparked her own fascination with marine life.
One finding stands out: surfers, who spend far more time in the ocean than most Australians, were more likely to worry about sunburn than sharks. That suggests regular ocean users develop what might be called rational risk assessment. They understand the actual statistical dangers, not the Hollywood-inflated ones.
Duncan Chamberlain, a 74-year-old who has surfed for 54 years, enters the Southern Ocean from his hometown beach at Middleton, south of Adelaide, three or four times a week. When he encounters a shark, he follows a practical 20-minute rule: leave the water briefly and let the shark move along. "If you look at the statistics, you're in far more danger driving to the beach on the roads," he said. That's worth repeating.
Mal Biscoe has surfed for more than 30 years and runs a surf school. A firefighter who had just returned from fighting Canadian forest fires, Biscoe said evaluating danger came naturally to him. He estimated that he'd had about eight shark encounters over the years, with sharks swimming under or around him or appearing in the distance. In his closest encounter, a harmless wobbegong climbed onto his friend's back while they were surfing. "We had a laugh about it and then we're like, 'I wonder what scared it out of the water?' But I've never had an incident where I feel threatened," he said.
The Real Risk Picture
Australia recorded five fatal shark attacks and 23 shark bite incidents in total in 2025. The fifth fatal shark attack for 2026 occurred in Perth the previous month, prompting government action. The Western Australian fisheries minister ruled out a widespread cull, saying it wouldn't be appropriate, but issued a "catch and kill" order for the shark responsible. This targeted approach reflects growing policy recognition that blanket measures often create more problems than they solve.
Biscoe tells his surf students they're more likely to step on a ray or get injured by their own board than by a shark. He's unsure whether surfers care more about shark conservation than other species, but believes they're generally environmentally aware. "I think surfers and people that live along the ocean are more concerned just about the natural environment itself, whether it be sharks or dolphins, whales or rays or just fish life," he said.
The pattern speaks to something conservatives understand well: fear driven by media narratives often outpaces reality. Better information leads to better decisions. When people understand actual risk versus perceived risk, they make choices based on facts rather than emotion.
Why This Matters:
Conservation policy works best when it rests on accurate information, not panic. Gleaves's research suggests education and media responsibility matter enormously in shaping public support for species protection. With shark populations down over 70 per cent globally since the 1970s, losing public support through hysteria or heavy-handed government responses could worsen the problem. The study suggests private action—informed individuals making voluntary choices to protect marine life—may work better than regulatory mandates. Ocean users already understand the balance between risk and reward; policymakers should listen to them rather than chase sensational headlines. When rational actors weigh the genuine danger sharks pose against their ecological value, conservation becomes a choice people make, not a burden governments impose.