The Effects of Public Opinion on Sharks

Shark populations are declining worldwide and in order to conserve these species public support will be required. It has previously been found that the attitudes and behaviors of the public are able to cause changes in environmental policy. Therefore, any variable within the public that results in both positive attitudes, and or, behaviors towards sharks would theoretically allow policies that support their conservation to be enacted. Previous studies have found that a person's knowledge about a species group can directly affect their attitudes. In this study it was discovered that knowledge could not only significantly predict a person's attitude but also their behavior towards the conservation of sharks. The higher a person's knowledge the more positive their attitudes, and the more likely they were to behave in a way that would support conservation of these species. However, this study also shows that in general, respondents had a low level of knowledge about sharks. Conclusively, increasing knowledge about sharks is of the utmost importance if legislation protecting this group is to be developed.