MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING ENCOUNTERS Introduction 3 CONTENTS Stop feeding the fear 4 Things to consider when reporting shark encounters 5 Avoid click bait 6 For the sake of life on earth, we need 7 More deadly than sharks 8 A little knowledge is a dangerous thing 9 Threats to sharks 10 Shark facts 11 British sharks 12 About Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s successes 13 Celebrity supporters 14 Shark reporting checklist 15

2 Ever since the 1920s, sharks have been portrayed by Hollywood and the media as mindless killing-machines. Now there’s genuine concern that this often-repeated, WE’RE yet unfounded, depiction is standing in the way of shark conservation efforts. It’s our belief that the language used But apathy for shark conservation by the media has kept the JAWS could come at a price. Healthy oceans mythology alive and created a blind provide 50% of the oxygen we breathe GONNA spot in the eyes of the public when and — critically — healthy oceans rely it comes to shark conservation. on healthy shark populations. “ For the survival of sharks and the future of the planet, it has to stop. On average the mainstream UK media reports or features one shark story NEED A Right now around 73 million sharks every other a week. That’s 25 chances are killed every year, that’s roughly a year to make a difference to the fate two every second, and scientists of sharks and the future of the planet. predict key shark could soon be wiped out forever. We hope that this guideline will BIGGER encourage reporters and editors to At the end of 2017 a nationwide depict sharks and shark encounters survey by Bite-Back Shark & Marine accurately, fairly, and in a way that Conservation, a UK charity, revealed doesn’t jeopardise our blue planet. that nearly half (46%) of all Brits think VOCAB sharks are more terrifying that spiders, snakes and rodents combined.’ And 64% would ‘prefer sharks not to exist’.

Achieving public support for campaigns Campaign director to help save and protect a keystone Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation ” species that is relentlessly described as ‘menacing, man-eating, monster, killer and beast’ has become especially challenging.

BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 3 People expect journalists to be truthful, accurate, objective and impartial when covering a story. But, it could be argued that modern reporting on STOP sharks doesn’t always match those ethics.

After all, the language used to describe sharks is usually only reserved for serial FEEDING killers, terrorists and rapists.

But sharks aren’t the bogeyman. In a world of 7.2 billion people, typically THE eight people a year die from shark encounters and only three shark species — the great white, the bull and the tiger — have been linked to multiple (double digit) human fatalities FEAR since records began in 1543. According to a nationwide To be clear, there has never been a fatality from an unprovoked shark survey, nearly 30 million attack in the UK. people living in Britain are terrified of sharks. But why?

4 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN REPORTING SHARK ENCOUNTERS HIGHLIGHT THE RARITY OF FATAL JAWS wasn’t a documentary Balance the story with details of ENCOUNTERS threatened shark populations

Humans have a 1 in 3.7million Don’t label every bite as an attack; chance of being killed by a shark big sharks can only investigate objects with their teeth Don’t use gaping mouth open shots MOST SHARKS Avoid using words like monster, killer, of sharks to beast, man-eater and referencing JAWS illustrate the story ARE TIMID AND EASILY FRIGHTENED The mere presence of sharks in the sea shouldn’t prompt alarmist headlines

BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 5 WORDS TO USE WORDS TO AVOID MAGNIFICENT KILLER AVOID THREATENED MAN-EATER ENDANGERED MONSTER CLICK MAJESTIC BEAST RARE MENACING BAIT ICONIC LURKING Sharks can’t sue, so it’s easy to misrepresent them in attention- USE THE CORRECT IMAGE Not all sharks look like the great white. While it might be the most instantly grabbing headlines that help recognisable of all the sharks, the overuse of great white shark images to illustrate sell newspapers and encourage shark stories could lead the public to think that all sharks are deadly. clicks. For decades, the media has relentlessly portrayed sharks in print, online and on air with language that inspires hate and fear. It’s time to accurately report shark encounters and turn the tide. GREAT WHITE SHARK BLUE SHARK

6 FOR THE SAKE OF LIFE ON EARTH, WE NEED SHARKS

Healthy oceans are the lungs Sharks are the ‘big cats’ of the ocean and they sit at the top of the marine and larder of the planet. Healthy food web. oceans produce 50% of the oxygen For 450 million years sharks have we breathe, absorb 20% of all helped shape and maintain the balance man-made CO2 and safeguard 93 of the oceans. Their hunting helps stop species like tuna, jacks, grouper, turtles billion tonnes of wild seafood, for and rays from becoming too abundant human and consumption. and over-eating their prey, keeping the ocean ecosystem in balance. The fragile marine environment works in harmony with sharks as a keystone species; helping to prevent population boom-and-bust events from occurring across the food web that could ultimately starve the planet of oxygen and cripple its ability to provide billions of tonnes of protein each year.

As apex predators, sharks have ruled the oceans with little to fear. They have survived six mass extinctions and outlived the dinosaurs but overfishing could now wipe out key species in our lifetime.

BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 7 MOSQUITOES 1,000,000 DEADLY OBJECTS (GLOBAL FIGURES) MORE SNAKES 50,000 TOASTERS 700 DOGS 25,000 BATH TUBS 300 DEADLY HIPPOPOTAMUSES 2,000 PEANUTS 120 CROCODILES 1,000 LADDERS 110 THAN ELEPHANTS 300 ICICLES 100 SHARKS COWS 200 BEES 100 Here’s a list of and the average number of human TIGERS 90 fatalities they cause each year around the world. LIONS 70 BEARS 20

SHARKS 6

8 A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS At the end of 2017 nationwide NO SHARKS PLEASE, WE'RE BRITISH RESULTSA FROM A UKDANGEROUS SURVEY OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS SHARKS AND THE OCEANS | NOV THING 2017 research commissioned by Bite-Back revealed that 83% of Brits think more should be done FOUR TIMES to protect the oceans but 64% AS MANY PEOPLE WRONGLY THINK SHARKS ARE MORE DEADLY THAN TOASTERS AND COWS would rather sharks didn’t exist. ONE THIRD 83% 64% HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE BASKING SHARK, THE LARGEST FISH THINK THE OCEANS WOULD PREFER IN UK WATERS AND THE SECOND DESERVE GREATER SHARKS NOT THINK SHARKS ARE MORE LARGEST FISH IN THE WORLD PROTECTION TO EXIST TERRIFYING THAN SPIDERS, 46% SNAKES AND MICE COMBINED 97% SIMPLY HAVE NO IDEA THAT AN ESTIMATED KNOW THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 SPECIES 73,000,000 1% OF SHARKS IN UK WATERS SHARKS ARE KILLED EVERY YEAR WITH MANY HUNTED JUST FOR THEIR FINS TO MAKE SHARK FIN SOUP CHARITY COMMITTED TO MAKING BRITAIN SHARK FIN FREE

BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 9 THREATS TO SHARKS INDUSTRIAL FISHING SHARK FIN SOUP SHARK PRODUCTS

Overfishing is the single biggest threat Once only served to Chinese Emperors, While shark fin soup typically only to shark populations. The advent of shark fin soup is now regarded as appears on restaurant menus, shark modern fishing boats — capable of an overt demonstration of wealth meat is regularly sold by independent spending weeks at sea — coupled with and prestige. fishmongers across the country. sonar, satellite and fish-finders mean that sharks have nowhere left to hide. In a booming Asian economy, demand Products that contain shark range from for shark fin soup has reached record so-called health supplements, such The International Union for the levels. as cartilage capsules and liver oil, to Conservation of Nature recently cosmetics including sunscreen, lipsticks reported that 85% of the world’s Shark fins have cartilaginous strands and face creams, plus pet food and fish stocks are fully exploited or that run from the base to the tip. It’s trinkets like jaws and teeth. All these overexploited. Without intervention these noodles of cartilage that are products are contributing to the value the big fish, like sharks, will be the served in shark fin soup. Because shark of a dead shark. first to disappear. cartilage only adds texture, they are prepared in a broth made from fish The success of Bite-Back’s campaigns Sharks are often caught as by-catch by or chicken stock to add flavour. means that it’s no longer possible the swordfish and tuna fishing industry. to buy shark meat in any multiple While shark meat has a relatively low Five years ago there were 65 UK high street retailers. The charity also market value, shark fins (used as the restaurants serving shark fin soup. prompted the Wagamama restaurant title ingredient in shark fin soup) have Bite-Back’s campaign has helped chain to remove shark steak from become one of the most valuable prompt 82% of these restaurants to menus and successfully challenged seafood items on the planet. As a drop the controversial dish. Holland & Barrett to end the sale of result, fishermen will cut the valuable shark cartilage capsules nationwide. fins from sharks while still alive and throw the body overboard to die.

10 1. Sharks have three more senses than humans. 11. In some parts of the world populations of great This means they can easily detect electricity from whites, hammerheads and oceanic whitetips muscle movement in prey, vibrations in the water have fallen by 90% since 1950 and changes in water temperature SHARK 12. Sharks have the largest brain of any fish 2. Female sharks tend to be bigger than males 13. Great white sharks can typically go without food 3. Shark skin has overlapping dermal denticles for 10 weeks - V-shaped scales - that make them more FACTS hydrodynamic and faster in the water. These 14. Greenland sharks can live for over 500 years have been mimicked in Olympic swimwear There are more than 480 species 15. Shark pregnancies can range from 5 months to of sharks. The largest, the whale 4. Only three sharks have been linked to multiple 3.5 years (frilled shark), depending on the species (double digit) human fatalities - the great white, shark, can grow to the size of a the bull and the tiger 16. The two biggest sharks in the world - the whale single decker London bus. The and basking - are plankton eaters 5. Spain, France, Portugal and Britain rank in the top smallest, the , is the 25 shark fishing nations in the world 17. Sharks can smell in stereo because each nostril length of a pencil. detects smell independently 6. 73 million sharks are killed every year; equivalent to two every second 18. Different sharks have different teeth to best match their typical prey 7. One in four shark species is listed as threatened, including the great white, the oceanic whitetip, 19. The mechanical shark in JAWS was nicknamed hammerheads, the thresher and the whale shark Bruce after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Reynolds 8. Shark fins, used as the title ingredient in shark fin soup, are one of the most expensive seafood 20. Celebrity shark fans include Leonardo DiCaprio, items on the planet Ben Stiller, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Branson, January Jones, Jack Johnson, Edward Norton, 9. The shortfin mako is the fastest shark, clocked at and Gordon Ramsay speeds of 40mph 21. Sharks have survived six mass extinctions but 10.. On average British cows kill more people (7) overfishing risks wiping out some species every year than all the sharks in the world (6)

BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 11 To the surprise of many people, there are dozens of shark species off the British coastline plus BRITISH other seasonal visitors. Here’s the top 32. One in three Brits had never heard of the basking shark, the second largest shark in the world. It’s an annual visitor to the south-east and east coast of SHARKS Britain from May to September.

Big sharks, including the smooth hammerhead, thresher and shortfin mako (the fastest shark in the world), can also be found in British seas.

The fact that hundreds of years of fishing records have never featured a great white shark suggests that this shark doesn’t live in our waters. Angel Bramble Knifetooth dogfish Shortfin Mako Angular Roughshark Common smoothhound Leafscale gulper Small spotted catshark Basking Demon catshark Longnose Smooth hammerhead Birdbeak dogfish Frilled Nursehound Spiny dogfish Black dogfish Great lanternshark Porbeagle Starry smoothhound Blackmouth catshark Greenland Portuguese dogfish Thresher Blue Gulper Sailfin roughshark Tope Bluntnose sixgill Kitefin Sharpnose sevengill Velvet belly lanternshark

12 ABOUT BITE-BACK SHARK & MARINE GET IN CONSERVATION’S SUCCESES TOUCH The charity is based To combat overfishing of sharks Bite-Back’s goal is to make Britain the first A t-shirt with the slogan Reel Men Fish in Kingston upon western country to ban shark products — shark For Sharks was removed from Tesco Thames, just 35 Bite-Back is working to eliminate meat, fins, cartilage capsules and trinkets (jaws stores following pressure from Bite-Back minutes from London retail opportunities for all shark and teeth) — by 2022. and supporters. Waterloo train station. Campaign director products. Without commercial Already the charity’s campaigns have seen Mary Berry removed a recipe for shark with and spokesperson, value, there will be less incentive ASDA end the sale of 100,000 portions of tropical salsa from a cookbook and issued an Graham Buckingham, shark steaks every year. It has motivated apology after Bite-Back and supporters voiced has delivered two TEDx to hunt sharks. Iceland Foods to remove shark steaks from concern for threatened sharks. talks and is available its exotic range of meat and it has prompted for live or recorded MAKRO (a nationwide cash-and-carry) to no Bite-Back’s campaigns encouraged the television and radio longer sell shark steaks. country’s largest health food store, Holland interviews. & Barrett, to remove shark cartilage capsules Since Bite-Back launched its Hacked Off shark from 580 stores nationwide. Steve Backshall is fin soup campaign more than 50 restaurants the charity’s patron. (82%) — including the country’s only Michelin- The charity’s No Fin To Declare petition, calling With some notice, starred Chinese restaurant — have removed on the EU to end the 20kg personal import it’s possible that the controversial dish from menus. limit of sharks fins, has already clocked up Steve can reach a 155,000 signatures from supporters around phone or provide Working with Westminster Trading Standards the world. written commentary the team exposed a top London restaurant, on sharks and shark Royal China on Baker Street, for selling illegally conservation issues. imported shark fins.

BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 13 STEVE WENDY HUGH FEARNLEY- BACKSHALL BENCHLEY WHITTINGSTALL PATRON, TV PRESENTER, ADVENTURER OCEAN AMBASSADOR CHEF, CAMPAIGNER

“As someone who has swum with dozens of species “My late-husband Peter wrote JAWS 44 years ago. “Sharks are getting a bad press that of sharks, including all of the so-called ‘man-eaters’, While the original book and the blockbuster films have they simply don’t deserve. Decades of I know through experience of their serene beauty, become a pop culture phenomenon, it’s important to sensational headlines describing them their ancient heritage, and their total disinterest in remember the concept for JAWS came from Peter’s as killers, beasts and monsters has human beings as food. It breaks my heart then to imagination. It was fiction, not fact. stripped sharks of their status as vital see how the media portray sharks. marine species and, all too often, left “For far too long the news media has been reporting the public frightened for little reason. “Toothless basking sharks described as ‘terrifying that sharks are man-eating monsters. This is simply monsters’, sharks thousands of miles from the UK not true. This constant portrayal of sharks as the “I know sharks to be endlessly described as ‘bound for British beaches’, beautiful bad guys is hindering shark conservation efforts. fascinating creatures that play a and endangered fish headlined as ‘brutal’ and We need the media to cover the ‘real’ shark news — crucial role in maintaining healthy ‘bloodthirsty’. The press knows that all of these that we are facing a shark extinction crisis. Without marine ecosystems. So I’d welcome things are untrue, but also knows a salacious story sharks, the balance of the entire ocean food web may any move by the media to fairly report sells. It’s time journalists also realised that these topple, creating a devastating effect. As an ocean sharks rather than default to tired and falsehoods are perpetrating a hatred of sharks that ambassador I am calling on the media to drop the inaccurate click bait captions.” justifies their boundless slaughter. They are complicit sensational headlines and report shark encounters CELEBRITY SUPPORTERS in one of the greatest deliberate exterminations in accurately and fairly. The survival of sharks now our planet’s history.” depends on knowledge, understanding and respect.”

14 SHARK REPORTING CHECKLIST On average newspapers feature Is the headline alarmist? Rewrite sharks Remember the odds a shark story every fortnight. Does the mere presence of a shark in Words like killer, prowling, monster, Ladders, toasters, chairs, icicles, power That’s 25 opportunities a year the sea warrant a ‘killer’ headline? menacing and beast are used to tools, mosquitoes, crocodiles, hippos, describe rapists, paedophiles and cows and bees each kill far more to represent sharks accurately terrorists. Don’t lump sharks into the people than all the sharks in the world and fairly. Here’s our checklist for Avoid the cliché of same category. every year. Highlight the rarity of shark encounters. unbiased reporting. referencing JAWS Not all sharks are The 1975 film was about a fictional great Lead the world white shark. It wasn’t a documentary. great whites Forty-three years after the blockbuster The British press is revered the world hit cinemas it’s time to demonstrate Very few sharks have been linked over. Let’s demonstrate that talent knowledge and understanding rather to human fatalities. Avoid illustrating with accurate and fair reporting of than fear and loathing. stories about sharks with mouth-wide- shark encounters. open images of great whites. End the speculation Speculation isn’t the truth. Suggesting Shark attack? a killer shark is prowling our coastline Don’t assume a shark bite was an simply feeds the fear. attack. Most big sharks investigate potential prey with their teeth.

BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 15 CONTACT: GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 [email protected]