Week 8: A “Fishy” Timeline

Greetings, investigator! Though not nearly as suspicious as the title suggests, I have compiled all that I have researched related to sharks from Australian newspapers, spanning from 1938 until 2000. As the culmination of three weeks of work, my “timeline” or analysis of various notable time periods’ newspaper articles is extremely lengthy, so for the sake of organization and length on this blog, you can find an in-depth rundown of the different collections of years I looked into in the following Google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YQ5rJPwSIqAMvAtR71b24KQwNAeuFblS83yKWSvdlro/edit?usp=sharing.

(Once again, if you’d like to learn more about my process of selecting notable years and articles to sample from these years, please refer to “Filtering the Grub from the Gravel” on my Week 6 blog – https://basisindependent.com/schools/ca/silicon-valley/academics/the-senior-year/senior-projects/brandon-t/week-6-collecting-journalistic-samples/)

Timeline Summary

Looking over the years, Australia grew significantly in its understanding of sharks, especially White Sharks, and its treatment of the animal. Game fishing initially existed as a thrilling and challenging pastime, embodying man vs. nature and little sympathy for the opponent at the end of the line. Similarly, sharks from sightings and attacks were mainly seen from two angles: annoying nuisances that could cause some financial damage or brutal, cruel, and intentional beasts that stalked the beaches.

As time passed, this narrative only grew and was picked up by filmmakers and reporters, playing off these negative stereotypes to create eye-catching and unforgettable stories. These cemented sharks into the mainstream as powerful yet majestic beasts, bringing pros and cons. Sharks became synonymous with the ocean, and anything covering them was fascinating to readers worldwide. This popularity came with both a desire to preserve their beauty and to mistakenly over-defend ourselves from their exaggerated danger.

Arguments on both sides grew to be more defined on the true danger sharks posed to humans, eventually culminating in pressures to secure White Shark populations. Although there was no complete consensus on the population size of the species, a ban on direct fishing of White Sharks was implemented. This move, applauded by researchers and ecotour operators, was still extremely controversial to some members of the public who saw this protection as unnecessary and/or premature.

Conclusion

From this deep dive into Australia’s relationship with sharks, I’ve grown a great appreciation for not only the individuals who acted as the voices for sharks but also those who brought valuable discourse into the conversation regarding protection. The fishermen especially would know sharks extremely well, and it is undoubtedly their support that pushed our current understanding of sharks forward. Applying what I’ve learnt related to media’s portrayals of sharks to my Senior Project will rely heavily on attempting to shatter decades-old stereotypes of sharks. Depending on my audience as well, my message and presentation may need to vary significantly, starting from glaring issues like the location I am talking about (which is what I’m planning to tackle next week), to my choice on main themes such as the economic benefits of protecting White Sharks or the ecological importance of such an apex predator has for large, beautiful ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef.

In addition to connecting what I have learnt from Australian White Sharks to those across the world, I will be starting my work in creating my own piece of media, combating the typical portrayals of sharks in many forms of content. Be sure to join me on my filmmaking journey next week when I should hopefully have drafted a script and sketched out an idea for my shark “promotional video.”

Citations

Malcolm, H., Bruce, B. D., & Stevens, J. D. (2001, September). A Review of the Biology and Status of White Sharks in Australian Waters. CSIRO Marine Research, Hobart. https://publications.csiro.au/rpr/download?pid=procite:1d0d13e5-7a60-4e65-be78-636e6f2dd22e&dsid=DS1.

Numerous Articles from Trove (https://trove.nla.gov.au/) which digitizes numerous historical Australian newspaper articles and collaborates with the National Library of Australia and hundreds of partners around Australia.