Overview

• National Geographic’s 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story' has launched with public screenings on Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham and an upcoming European debut in Monaco.
• Wendy Benchley highlights how the original film triggered both a surge in shark tournaments and a 30 percent rise in marine science applications at Miami’s Rosenstiel School.
• Steven Spielberg has openly expressed regret over the 1975 release driving a feeding frenzy among sport fishermen and exacerbating shark losses.
• Conservationists warn that over 100 million sharks are still killed each year and 90 percent of populations have vanished since Jaws’ debut, citing overfishing and finning as primary threats.
• Experts including Dr. Lydia Koehler are urging governments to expand marine protected areas and implement fisheries reforms following commitments at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference to safeguard endangered shark species.