A new brochure is being sent out in Cape Cod warning people about the possibility of sharks, though some people feel it is doing more harm than good.
"The cover has an extra-mean, toothy picture of a shark," Richard Delaney of the Center for Coastal Studies said to the Cape Cod Times. "It's one more example of how we, as a society, have this general myth that these guys are big, nasty creatures."
Over 415,000 of the brochures were printed as part of a campaign to raise awareness of sharks. They were also produced to educate beachgoers on what to do and not to do in case they actually do see a shark.
"The cover has an extra-mean, toothy picture of a shark," said Richard Delaney, president of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, according to the Associate Press. "It's one more example of how we, as a society, have this general myth that these guys are big, nasty creatures."
Delaney added that he would remove a sentence from the brochure that said that the only way to avoid sharks is by staying on land.
"It may have gone a little too far by saying don't go in the water," Delaney said.
Fliers were printed and distributed by consortium of harbormasters and other local officials in Massachusetts with $22,500 from a state program to raise awareness, according to AP.
There is some concern however that the campaign could actually hurt tourism instead of helping tourist, according to AP.
"Information is good. It's the tone and tenor of the information that you put out to the public to keep them aware, keep them safe," said Wendy Northcross of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, according to the Cape Cod Times.
Shark sightings have become more common in Cape waters recently, drawn by the increasing seal population.
One man was bitten back in the summer of 2012.
"The reality is, we have sharks, and there has to be some public information campaign," Northcross said. "On the flip side, there's concern that sharks will be sensationalized or people will want to go on shark hunts."
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