Shark Week on Discovery

[merxlin]

Sorry, but I still think that you are overstating the problem. There are plenty of mentions that sharks, by an large, are not a threat. There will be a few sensational pieces, but most often the pieces do have a solid educational slant.

The bottom line is that Discovery channel is a business. No one wants to tune in to a week of being preached to. You have to entertain and take those opportunities to slip in the education.

Sounding like a bunch of strident animal righters is a failing technique. Presenting reasoned opinions about the need to address over fishing or finning is a better tactic.

If you think the problem is being overstated then I believe you do not understand the problem. Exactly how much sympathy for the plight of sharks do you think can be generated when for two hours you've shown them as being ruthless killers? Maybe a disclaimer at the end: "But don't worry, Sharks are almost extinct. You really don't have to worry about them any more".

 

[ocbeachbum]

Seems to me the problem is that we (divers) and other water-oriented people want programming filled with cool science stuff while everyone else expects shark week to be just like other nature shows (hey let's watch this lion chomp this gazelle). The conservation side of it does need to be presented in a different way from the current disclaimers after 46 min of blood and gore, but not enough people, including me, would watch something about the evils of higher demand for shark fin soup in pacific rim countries thanks to increased wealth in emerging asian tiger economies. It doesn't roll off the tongue like "BLOOD IN THE WATER and would garner exactly the same advertising revenue as a 4am ESPN special on curling. Also, I hate to say it, but I don't think there is that much science out there that is both solid factually and entertaining to a mass audience.

 

[merxlin]

Agreed. But the lead off is "Blood in the Water". This was the most promoted show in the series. I agree that it will bring in a larger audience, and then we can hope that they stick around to see the reality. I am hoping that DC will at least temper the gore with some equally educational footage and promotion. Watching a guy hold a shark and put it to sleep with his hands was pretty engrossing to me.

 

[merxlin]

There are plenty of mentions that sharks, by an large, are not a threat. There will be a few sensational pieces, but most often the pieces do have a solid educational slant.

Here's this weeks feature programs from the Discovery Channel website:
Shark Week : Program Schedule : Discovery Channel
Blood In the Water (self explanatory)
Deadly Waters (also self-explanatory)
Day of the Shark 2 - See what happens in this harrowing hour, when a great white breaks through a 300-pound aluminum shark cage and traps the divers inside. Another shark tackles a former Navy Seal in shallow waters off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida. And a bull shark invades a spear-fishing trip in the Bahamas. When you’re a visitor in the vast and complex ocean, any day could be the “Day of the Shark.”
Sharkbite Summer See a trend?
Great White Appetite And so it continues
Shark After Dark Look- something educational!
Sharks are most aggressive and most active in the dark, but the fact is, we know very little else about the nocturnal nature of these creatures. Now, armed with the latest in infrared thermography cameras and night vision technology, a team of divers travels around the world, and descends into the sharks dangerous after-dark hunting grounds. Their goal is to learn more about how Great Whites, Six-Gills, and Tiger Sharks behave after the sun goes down.

FWIW, I think that any programing that allows people to get the point across that our oceans are imperiled is a good thing. I think getting people to realize that their food choices and other behaviors impact the oceans is a vital bit of education. If it takes shark week to open their eyes then I am okay with it.

Exactly when do they get around to that part? I looked all over for the "Sharks, our Oceans in Peril" but didn't see it.

For what its worth, as Shark catches are dwindling, there are fisheries in Indonesia that are now catching Manta Rays for sale into the shark fin market. MANTA RAYS.

But there is no problem.

You live in a beautiful state that is renowned for the trout fishing. What if they allowed nets on the streams to catch fish, took the fins and left all the trout that got caught piled on the side of the streams to rot? What would that do to the ecosystems up there? The tourism? Would you get more involved then?

I'm not singling you out individually. There is a pervasive attitude that it's OK because of the image we have of these creatures. It needs to change. If that makes me a "strident animal righter" then so be it.

 

[Ed Jewell]

Sherman's Lagoon Take

 

[RMDiver]

Merxlin,

Have you actually viewed any of the shows?

Every one that I have seen has stressed that we are entering the sharks environment and that there are choices we can make to reduce the risk of an incident. They have stressed that shark attacks are extremely rare but that when they happen is is the product of the choices that the humans involved made.

Additionally they are touting an online petition to ban shark finning during each commercial break. I think that you would find that you have more in common with them than you think.

But for those who would rather wallow in their all knowing, contempt prior to investigation mode, be my guest.

Secondly, when have I spoken in favor of finning? You say it isn''t personal but your attack sure seems that way.

 

[baitballer]

I watched Dealdly Waters last night and sat there totally bemused by the whole thing! I live in one of the places mentioned and had been to the other four. I sat there and watched as they feed Bull Sharks in Fiji, which I have done on various occasions in the same place, and just laughed as they blew it out of all proportion with "it's a feeding frenzy, we have to get out the water, etc etc" anyone who has done that dive will tell you completly the opposite and rather amusingly when they decided to come up since it was so dangerous in the feeding frenzy they then discussed it while on the surface at the back of the boat! If it was so dangerous one would have though they would of got back on board!! It was complte rubbish to be frank but I am sure it entertained some people and made other determined to say the only good shark is a dead one!

 

[MattJ]

I watched some a little bit last night. The part where they had Survivorguy (?) on a boat saying "We're now going to drag a chum-sicle the size and weight of a human being behind the boat at swimmer speed to see if sharks will attack it!" made me switch over to the top 100 fights of the UFC.

 

[RMDiver]

I'll grant that the survivor dude was so silly as to be quite funny.

 

[Markho71]

I watched some a little bit last night. The part where they had Survivorguy (?) on a boat saying "We're now going to drag a chum-sicle the size and weight of a human being behind the boat at swimmer speed to see if sharks will attack it!" made me switch over to the top 100 fights of the UFC.

Agreed! Les Stroud certainly did his part to ensure many sharks will be killed to protect humans. That was possibly the most over-dramatized shark documentary I've ever seen. The bull shark feeding was the worst. He didn't mention that the large iron box below him was filled with fish/chum. IMO the second worst segment was the cage diving in Australia. Did you guys notice how Les fell to the bottom like he was tackled by a linebacker every time the shark bumped the cage?