"They eat our children": the shark of Cape Cod attacks the inhabitants of Rile

WELLFLEET – As a scene straight out of the movie "Jaws" of 1975, locals gathered Thursday night in the local elementary school to discuss solutions to a dreadful problem: the increased presence of great white sharks.

In passionate and sometimes combative terms, about 300 residents of Cape Cod have invaded the school gym to voice a range of concerns to a panel of local representatives, researchers and shark experts.

"They eat our fish, now they eat our kids," Brewster's Gail Sluis said in a brief speech that garnered considerable applause from the public. "No shark or seal is worth the life of a young man – that's not the case."

The meeting took place less than two weeks after the shocking death of 26-year-old Arthur Medici of Revere, who was the victim of the first deadly shark attack in the state for more than 80 years. The forum was intended to raise awareness of sharks and discuss "what they can do to limit their exposure," said Dan Hoort, administrator of the city of Wellfleet.

Foreseeing a high turnout, the week's leaders moved the location of the city's senior center to primary school. At the end of Thursday afternoon, the city authorities scrambled to greet the crowd that was only standing in the room.

"Today, I called and said," Put all the seats you went out, "said Hoort.

And residents took advantage of the opportunity to question the officials.

One by one, locals sat in front of a group of 13 people at the microphone, asking questions and sharing their opinions on how best to deal with what has suddenly become the city's most prominent issue.

Some said that the fatal attack and frequent sightings of sharks this summer in Cape waters threaten the resort's seaside resort-dependent economy.

Others have called for better security measures – by employing more lifeguards ("They call them rescuers for a reason, take more," noted one speaker), using drones to track sharks and their travel habits, by designing a birth control system decrease the seal population.

Some have criticized the lack of reliable mobile phone service, which may be spotty on parts of Cape Town, to help relief efforts.

"You should be on the phone tomorrow with the communications people and do it next week," said one speaker.

The biggest source of conflict, however, has been the increase in the seal population, which many consider to be the main reason for the strong activity of sharks.

Many people have called for efforts to eliminate the seal population – and therefore the white shark – by baffling federal legislation that leaves seals protected at the expense of humans.

John Kartsounis, 58, said he no longer allowed his children to enter the water and questioned the efforts to protect the beaches so far. 39, he named "Band-Aids".

"This problem has become so bad that our beaches are no longer safe for swimming," he said in an interview. "Frankly, the signs that have been put in place to avoid being attacked are almost comical."

Sometimes frustrations overflowed during the two-hour meeting.

Janet Reinhart, Chair of the City Selection Committee, who facilitated the discussion, repeatedly cut short the speakers, arguing that some issues – particularly the issue of killing the seal population – had already been addressed. debated.

But some people talked about defending the seal population.

"We are in their habitat," said a speaker, in a feeling that resonated throughout the evening.

At the end of the meeting, local officials seemed to be encouraged, praising some of the suggestions and leaving open the possibility of a new public forum.

But they also insisted that there was still a lot to do.

When asked what was the biggest draw of the evening, Hoort, the administrator of the city, responded directly.

"People want us to do something – no matter what," he said as the gym was emptying.

"The government can sometimes work very slowly," he added. "It is not the moment for the government to work slowly."

Dugan Arnett can be contacted at [email protected].