Values, attitudes, and media exposure: Public perception of sharks and shark conservation in the USA

Abstract

Public values and attitudes are increasingly relevant to wildlife conservation and management. For species historically perceived negatively, including sharks and predators, conservation action may be partially reliant on changing perceptions. We present the results of a large-scale, in-depth survey of public attitudes towards sharks and their conservation in the United States (n = 640). The survey covered a wide range of attitudes, beliefs, and practices, including where respondents encounter information about sharks, their perceptions of current conservation threats and attack risk, their interest in and self-reported knowledge about sharks, what value they attribute to sharks, what policy approaches to shark conservation they most support, and their attitudes regarding the personal relevance of and their relative responsibility for shark conservation. Results deepen our understanding of cultural trends around wildlife, demonstrating the potential influence of value shifts on other, more specific attitudes. Findings highlight a need for a conservation focus in media and messaging, as public perceptions, including potential biases or misperceptions, track closely with aggregate media coverage, and exposure to media coverage of shark bites is associated with beliefs that these events are common. Finally, we found a tendency to assign blame for shark declines to “others” outside of the United States, particularly commercial fishers in Asia, and little sense of personal responsibility or efficacy related to shark conservation. These findings have implications for conservation messaging for diverse wildlife values, specifically around self-efficacy and personal responsibility.