Shark sightings in Cape Cod have reportedly prompted more intense East Coast safety warnings, reports The Inquisitr. Massachusetts officials have now developed a safety brochure because of the new shark sightings in Cape Cod.
According to state and local officials, the brochures prompted by the shark sightings in Cape Cod are important and serve as a way to raise awareness. It is also supposed to promote safety measures during the tourist season, reports the Associated Press. As of today, a total of 415,000 brochures have already been printed in anticipation of the tourist season. The Associated Press reports that the brochures were distributed by the consortium of harbormasters and other local officials in Massachusetts with $22,500 from a state program.
The brochures are made to prevent injury and raise awareness of sharks and educate the public on supposed action during a shark sighting. However, they are currently being criticized for spreading myths.
President Richard Delaney of the Center for Coastal Studies said that the brochure's cover photo is misleading and it reminded him of the movie "Jaws." He said, "The cover has an extra-mean, toothy picture of a shark... It's one more example of how we, as a society, have this general myth that these guys are big, nasty creatures."
In fact, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce's Chief Executive Wendy Northcross also has similar concerns. The brochures made due to the shark sightings in Cape Cod are informative, Northcross says. However, she is worried that tourists will be unnecessarily frightened. The brochures "may have gone a little too far by saying don't go into the water."
The Huffington Post reports that Northcross is also concerned that "sharks will be sensationalized or people will want to go on shark hunts." She added that though shark sightings in Cape Cod have increased, tourists should not be too concerned.
Northcross also told the Cape Cod Times, "The reality is, we have sharks, and there has to be some public information campaign," she said. "On the flip side, there's concern that sharks will be sensationalized or people will want to go on shark hunts."
In the brochure, created because of the new shark sightings in Cape Cod, the sightings have increased due to the growth in the seal population in the area. One man was even bitten two summers ago. Because state and federal laws were developed to protect the seals, they have now grown in number from being near extinction.
Shark sightings in Cape Cod may have prompted a brochure for the public's awareness, however it is the public's responsibility to be alert and keep themselves safe.
To see a video of the new shark sightings in Cape Cod, watch the video below. In order to avoid a shark encounter, swimmers and surfers are advised to avoid areas where seals are visibly present.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
