2. Jaws Author Peter Benchley Became a Shark Conservationist
Its a sad fact that Jaws undoubtedly painted a picture of sharks as merciless killing machines, eventually leading to a rise in the number of sharks being hunted and killed around the world. No one felt this responsibility more than the author of the book, Peter Benchley, who became filled with deep regret over the way that sharks were being treated after the joint success of his novel and Spielbergs film adaptation. In 2002 Benchley released a book titled Shark Trouble which explored how sharks had been unfairly depicted by the media. Throughout the years leading up to his death in 2006, Benchley spent his time campaigning against shark cruelty and even becoming a lecturer on marine conservation. While he remained proud of his work on Jaws and its ongoing legacy, he later admitted in a
revealing interview that "knowing what I know now, I could never write that book today".