Steven Spielberg says he regrets the impact one of his greatest films had on the shark population.
His 1975 film 'Jaws' was an instant hit and was followed by three more films centred around a killer shark terrorizing a small tourist town.
However, the famed director says he regrets its negative impact on the species and feels responsible for their subsequent decline.
In an interview with BBC Radio, he said, "I truly and to this day regret the decimation of the shark population."
"I still fear … that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sword fishermen that happened after 1975. I really, truly regret that," he added.
The movie was adapted from the Peter Benchley novel by the same name. Benchley made similar statements about his work, saying he feels responsible for the animal's decline.
It's believed their negative portrayal of the animal as bloodthirsty killer beasts had people believe the fiction.
Before his death in 2006, Benchley said, "Knowing what I know now, I could never write that book today. Sharks don't target human beings and certainly don't hold grudges."
In a Washington Post article, Chris Lowe, a California shark lab spokesperson, stated, "'Jaws' was kind of a turning point. It got people thinking negatively about sharks, making it much easier to overfish them."
Reports say the population of sharks and rays dropped by more than 70 percent from 1975 to 2018.
feature image via universal
