Why this Canadian shark expert does not watch Shark Week

HALIFAX – You know the pianist air of Spielberg's clbadic, Jaws .

Perhaps you have heard of the mbadive and "nightmarish" species (and extinct) of Shark Week's Megalodon on the Discovery Channel

Sharks have developed a formidable reputation in human culture, with their hundreds of sharp teeth and their carnivorous diet. But they are also being studied for their importance in ocean ecosystems, and researchers are working to protect their declining populations.

A shark expert came to Nova Scotia for his rich research potential on sharks. He talked with StarMetro about big fish and why he finds them fascinating.

Manuel Dureuil is a Ph.D. candidate at Dalhousie University in Halifax where he studies shark populations and how to protect them. He said he chose to come to the Maritimes after studying shark biology in Germany and South Africa because it's "one of the best places in the world" to do practical research on field. The cold waters of the province are rich in sharks, says Dureuil, and attract about 21 different species that migrate in and out of the region.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says Four species are commonly seen in the area: the lizard, the porbeagle shark, spiny dogfish and the blue shark. Other species are known to swim in Canadian waters, but they are not often spotted because they do not come near the coast or near the surface.

Dureuil describes species as the blue shark as "very interesting and very charismatic". the fact that many are afraid of the animal.

Read more:

Hilton Shark Enchanting Fans with Return to the Waters of Nova Scotia

The Killer Reputation

Sharks Hurts People. There is an international database on shark attacks compiled by scientists from the University of Florida and these files show 88 unprovoked shark attacks and five deaths worldwide in 2017. They called it "just an average year."

Deaths occurred in Canada

According to the DFO, the threat of a shark attack in Canadian Atlantic waters is slim. Most species on the east coast are harmless or far away.

Dureuil adds that overall, there are few species of sharks that we should worry about.

"A typical shark would be about a meter long," "There is nothing to fear," he says.

Great white sharks can have much more time – three and a half meters and four and a half meters – and DFO says they're very dangerous.This is a big giant white that engulfs swimmers and boaters in movies Jaws

But the Wind could turn on the reputation of this species, a big white became a darling of social media after being tagged by researchers, who created him a Twitter account last year.

Hilton the shark has returned in Nova Scotia earlier this week to excitement, after a winter in the south.White whites are considered rare in Nova Scotia, but scientists now think that there could be a site of 39, mating unknown in the North Atlantic.They thank Hilton for his advice

Contradictory feelings of terror and reverence for sharks are at the heart of Shark Week's popularity. The Discovery Channel has been devoting a week of programming to sharks for three decades now; the thirtieth edition is broadcast this week on the American network

Dureuil says that he appreciates the attention that he brings to his favorite fish, but there are also some disadvantages to the popular series.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Shark Week

Some shark species are endangered. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) tracks the extinction risk of most plant and animal species around the world. According to the IUCN Red List, some species of sharks are threatened, some do not, and another group has the uncertain description of "insufficient data", which means that we do not know not enough to say

. do more research on these "data deficient" species because small scientists know that sharks are in trouble. Shark Week's point of view could be a boon to researchers if it makes people more sympathetic to their cause.

Of course, all Shark Week programs do not encourage tenderness towards animals

or something like that, or something with blood in the title, it's just not respect sharks as an animal, "says Dureuil

" And then you could have people who have never seen a shark but are afraid of them because of that image that is created. "

Dureuil says that he does not look at Shark Week.For one, he does not own a television.But he hears about some of the shows, and worries that the information shared is not always

A pseudo-documentary called Megalodon: The lives of monster sharks aired on Shark Week n 2014 and suggested that the ancient parent of the great white could still be alive, much to the chagrin of many scientists , Including Dureuil, who are confident that the species is extinct.

Yet, other parts of Shark Week are based on a well-founded science, says Dureuil, and he would look at them if he had access

"I think I would be watching some things, especially things are based on good shark scientists, and there are certainly some very good shark scientists appearing in Shark Week, no question."

Guy Fieri it's not a part of it. Nor Shaq. The famous chef and retired basketball star both have special episodes on this year's calendar.

If it was in Dureuil, he would cut the "Hollywood thing."

If Shark Week were to focus on Nova Scotia and Dureuil was responsible, he would want viewers to know the blue shark. It is a highly fished species, ranked near threatened by IUCN, and is very common in Nova Scotia waters.

He would like to include the views of both sides: those who fish and those who work to protect sharks

I think a lot of fishermen here do not want to catch the blue shark, they want to catch the lynx. swordfish or tuna, "he said, adding that fishing nets are not selective and that sharks are sometimes killed.

These sharks are generally discarded in the water, their deaths have never been recorded – a factor contributing to the status of "deficient data" of some species.

Dureuil would also make an episode on shark tournaments, where sharks are fished for the sport, the biggest catch in winning the prize.

He said that it is a sticky subject, especially for him as a newcomer to the province with little knowledge of local culture. But again, he would like to see the different perspectives shared and the compromises reached.

"I think some people love hunting, it's hard for me to understand but I have to respect that, of course."

From where he stands, he says that tournaments could be improved by moving to a catch and release model. Catch the shark, measure it and photograph it, maybe even tag it for scientific purposes, and then return it to the water to swim the rest of its days, of course.

Taryn Grant is a Halifax reporter and an independent contributor to StarMetro. Follow her on Twitter: @tarynalgrant