Controversial shark hunting show returns, shark activists speak out

2001 was deemed summer of sharks; at least according to Time magazine. I know, younger readers are like “what’s a magazine?” There were four or five shark attacks that year which got a lot of press. That’s still very very low, and the percentage of sharks that have been know to attack man is miniscule.

Only a handful of species of sharks have ever recorded an attack on a human being. Yet through all the Jaws films and everything else that copied them…sharks are the gangsters of the sea. They’re the villains; that we can’t get enough of.

We’re more intrigued by those we fear instead of those that we love. Sharks are very misunderstood. Yes, they will eat you if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time and under the wrong circumstances. However, they’re anything but incessantly out for human blood. As soon as I see sharks or shark in the headline online I must click on it. I have to. I cannot contain myself.

I cannot wait for Sharknado 2 next Wednesday night, even though I know it will be a horrendously bad movie. Just as bad as the first one, if not worse. And believe me that was one hilariously awful movie.

Shark Hunters is back on NBCSN with new episodes and new crew members. The 60-minute outdoor fishing show features three long-standing East Coast shark tournaments and five captains pitted against each other to catch the heaviest shark. Peter “Pete” Brancaleone of Fish On and David O’Halloran of Bella Donna return and compete against three new boats aiming to catch the winning shark. The dramatic six-part series premieres this Wednesday, July 30, at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Episodes 2 through 6 will air on consecutive Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET through September 3.

Among the entrepreneurs is Justin Labdon, owner of the Cape Cod Beach Chair Company, who started selling “Chatham Whites” T-shirts after customers who were renting paddle boards and kayaks began asking whether it was safe to go to sea.

“I mean, truthfully, we’ve probably grown about 500 percent in terms of the sale of our shark apparel,” he said. The T-shirts, hoodies, hats, belts, dog collars and other accessories bear the iconic, torpedo-shaped image of great whites and sell for between $10 and $45.

He said his store brings in thousands of dollars in sales of the shark-themed merchandise.

A study released last month by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the number of great white sharks off the Eastern U.S. and Canada is surging after decades of decline. Conservation efforts and the greater availability of prey such as Massachusetts’ seals are credited with the reversal.

Shark sightings have soared from generally fewer than two annually before 2004 to more than 20 in each of the last few years off Cape Cod, where the economy depends heavily on the summer tourism season. Despite notices urging boaters and swimmers to use caution, the official reaction has been nearly the opposite of the panic depicted in “Jaws,” the 1975 film shot mainly on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard.

Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports and Yahoo! He’s been a guest on news talk shows all across the world. He’s also a special contributor to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Banks has been featured in numerous media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, NBC, CBS, the History Channel and more. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)