Overview

• A prime-time NBC special and the National Geographic documentary “Jaws @50: The Definitive Story” coincide with a theatrical rerelease of Spielberg’s original 1975 thriller.
• Conservationists are using anniversary events to highlight that global shark and ray numbers have fallen 71 percent since 1970 and that about one-third of species now face extinction.
• Researchers warn that annual shark mortality from fishing and bycatch has reached roughly 100 million, driven by commercial overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction.
• Sharks serve as apex predators crucial to maintaining marine carbon cycles and biodiversity by regulating fish populations and mixing nutrient layers in the ocean.
• Experts note that shark attacks remain rare—about 63 bites per year with five or six fatalities—and Spielberg has publicly regretted the film’s role in stoking fear and hunting of sharks.