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Cape Cod Shark Safety Flier Sparks Concerns

A new brochure being distributed on Cape Cod warning people about the possibility of sharks has some people wondering if it might do more harm than good.

The 415,000 brochures were printed and distributed by consortium of harbormasters and other mostly Lower Cape officials with $22,500 from the state Community Innovation Challenge program to raise awareness of sharks and educate the public about what to do if they see one.

Shark sightings have become more common in Cape waters recently, drawn by a booming seal population, and one man was even bitten two summers ago.

Wendy Northcross, chief executive of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, told the Cape Cod Times she had concerns.

"The reality is, we have sharks, and there has to be some public information campaign," she said. "On the flip side, there's concern that sharks will be sensationalized or people will want to go on shark hunts."

Richard Delaney, president of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, said there's some good information in the brochure, but was concerned about the cover, which said reminded him of the movie "Jaws."

"The cover has an extra-mean, toothy picture of a shark," he said. "It's one more example of how we, as a society, have this general myth that these guys are big, nasty creatures."

He also said he would remove a sentence that suggested that the only way to avoid sharks is to stay on land.

"It may have gone a little too far by saying don't go in the water," Delaney said.

Nathan Sears, natural resources manager for Orleans, the lead agency in the consortium, defended the pamphlet.

"We're just trying to raise public awareness," he said.

This article was originally published on May 05, 2014.

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