The Conservation Report

Michael Lopenzo was charged with disorderly conduct for falsely reporting great white sightings on Martha’s Vineyard. According to WLOS, “He had warned swimmers to get out of the water after saying he’d seen two sharks about 22 feet long and 3,000 pounds each.”

The Associated Press reported that investigators determined the “man was lying [because] when asked by detectives whose boat he was working on, Lopenzo gave the name of a nonexistent boat and owner…” However, “a second beach was closed Thursday on the island…after lifeguards…said they might have seen a great white shark.”

The cinematic classic “Jaws” was filmed on Martha’s Vineyard. The movie portrayed sharks negatively, and it has been argued that such portrayal has made it difficult to gain public support for shark conservation. However, a more positive campaign has taken place in recent years by marine educators at places like aquariums and zoos.

However, indiscriminate killing of sharks is a worldwide problem, and since sharks do not adhere to political boundaries, conservation gains in one country can be lost by cultural policies or the lack of enforcement by another country. Such phenomenon is observed with the conservation of other ocean animals like sea turtles. For example, American law may protect sea turtles in the United States but when sea turtles swim out of American jurisdiction into other countries such as Mexico, they may be hunted for their flesh and eggs. Sharks that naturally roam farthest perhaps faces the greatest pressure from fishing, indiscriminate killing, and pollution.

See more Shark Week on The Conservation Report