How Saving Sharks can Help Save Ourselves: An Interview with EMA Board Member Eli Roth

As an organization that believes the media can change minds for the better, it's not always the case. While 1975's "Jaws" remains a classic American movie, it instilled a deep-seated fear of sharks into millions of movie-goers. While sharks are apex predators, they aren't the supervillain to humans that many movies make them out to be. 

That said, it's ironic that a legendary horror director is stepping up to correct this misconception. Between directing Hollywood blockbusters and horror classics, filmmaker and EMA Board Member Eli Roth took a deep dive into the world of sharks, only to discover the true horror story: human greed. We spoke with Eli about the plight of sharks and why everyone should fight to save these incredible predators. 

Eli, you've spoken about this a few times at our EMA IMPACT Summit, but once more for those who couldn’t attend: What inspired you to make "Fin", and why do you hope the documentary will be obsolete one day? 

We’re losing an estimated 100 million sharks annually, which may be as high as 270 million; there's no real way to count. That’s 30,000 an hour. It’s an incalculable amount. I wanted to know why -- what’s behind this? Who’s benefitting from this? I went all over the world to find the answers. I got in the water with sharks; I got on the boats with the fishermen; I talked to the shark traders in Hong Kong. And the answer is simple: greed. There’s no reason to have a shark out of the water. The meat is too toxic to eat. It’s all a lie, and the fishing industry wants to do everything it can to keep it going. But sadly, the sharks can’t populate fast enough. They breed similarly to humans. They will never recover if we don’t stop all shark fishing immediately. And we are already seeing the effects this summer. The toxic algae blooms? That’s because of a lack of sharks. I go into all this in my documentary, but the sharks keep the grouper in check, and without them, the grouper eat the parrotfish, who are responsible for maintaining the algae. Some beaches are unswimmable, and already dolphins and sea lions are dying and attacking because of the toxic algae blooms that are out of control with no way to stop them. The only solution is more sharks. 

What role does the media play in conservation efforts?

Sadly, the media only reports when there’s a shark bite. They call it a shark attack, but the shark is investigating, thinking it's a sick or dying fish, and then usually releases after the bite. No one writes a news story saying a shark did nothing today except keep the ocean healthy! 

50% of our oxygen comes from the ocean; the sharks ensure it gets to us. Without sharks, the algae blooms, smother the kelp, and the oxygen stays trapped. 

Source: “Fin”

Shark hunting tournaments tend to peak in the summer. What can people do to stop these horrible and unnecessary events?

The tournaments know the public sentiment is growing against them. People are shocked when they see images from them, so if you see them in your town, you can go to them, film videos and photos, post them, and tag all the sharkos like myself and @Green4Ema, and we'll repost. 

Everyone's seeing the power of the collective voice; we all must speak up to end this. You can also write to the town's mayor and the local city’s chamber of commerce and say we do not want this brutal slaughter in our city. And go after them on social media, let them know how you feel. We shut down many of them on the east coast; they don't want their lives ruined by "crazy animal activists." They will call you every name you can imagine and say that science says this is fine. Please don't believe them; it's all a lie. 

While shark hunting is a prominent issue, what are some non-direct ways people might contribute to shark decline without even knowing?

Look at the makeup you're using. If it says squalene, make sure it's plant-derived squalene. Please do not buy any products with sharks in them. Talk to GNC and ask them not to sell shark liver oil. Talk to FedEx on social media and ask them not to ship shark fins. And if you see it at your local supermarket, talk to the manager of the fish section and post it on social media. They do not want the backlash. But this is an industry of death with millions behind it -- they will do anything to keep it going. 

What are a few recent shark conservation wins?

The EU approved the fin ban in the first phase, and the politicians are discussing it now. But the fishing industry has a powerful lobby in Brussels, and they lobby politicians daily. Follow Shark Allies; they've been on the ground tracking this and found the politicians wanting to help (politicians like the love on social media). 

Eli speaking at the 2022 EMA IMPACT Summit

Finally, what organizations, activists, scientists, etc., should people follow and support to help save sharks? 

Just speaking up when you see it. Tag people during a contest and use your voice to talk to the sponsors. The most important thing you can know is your voice matters. It really does! One person can change someone's mind. You don't have to be an expert to comprehend this is horrific and wrong; we must speak up. In Alabama, they have the most horrendous shark slaughter in the country -- the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. iHeart Radio, Coca-Cola, and many companies sponsor and give prizes. Someone killed a 1,000-pound tiger shark, a new record. Well, she was pregnant with 25 babies about to enter the ocean, and now that will never happen, thanks to Brett Rutledge, who won the prize and is now bragging about it to the media. 

Until this mindset changes that we cannot kill sharks for prizes, this will continue because the politicians are bought by the fishing industry, as is NOAA, the corrupt organization infiltrated by fishermen who give permits to their friends to kill endangered sharks. It will take a long time to unwind this mess we all inherited, but we have the truth on our side, and without sharks, the oceans will be unusable for everyone. Sharks don't have vocal cords -- they need us to speak for them! 

Want to help sharks right now? Share Eli's message on Instagram!