An Evening with Sharks

Interview by Linda Hunter
Published: July 2007

Filmmaker David McGuire on Spirit

On Thursday, July 19th, David McGuire will be showing his film "Sharks: Stewards of the Reef" at the Sports Basement in the Presidio. The film examines the escalating threats to Pacific reef shark populations including habitat destruction of reef ecosystems and over fishing. These acts are causing Pacific reef shark populations to plummet.  The most brutal assault threatening shark abundance is that of “finning” sharks for shark fin soup. The film includes compelling interviews with leading marine biologists and conservationists revealing the driving forces behind the drastic reduction of many shark populations.

FMSA Executive Director Linda Hunter sat down with filmmaker David McGuire to talk about his film, how and why he got involved in the sharks' world and what can be done to protect these indispensable top predators.

LH: How did you become a filmmaker?
DM: I have worked in education and raising ocean awareness through writing and photography. Having contributed to small film projects behind the lens, I realized the power of film and the audience it can reach. Then I was offered a spot on a sailing expedition to dive remote island reefs. Eventually, I quit my job in Public Health at UC Berkeley and dove in full time with the filmmaking team of the Johnsons of Trillium Films. This is my first film but Im already working on two other projects, one on Palmyra Atoll I filmed while diving with the California Academy of Sciences, and the other on California Marine Protected Areas: both ocean conservation related.

LH: What inspired your film?
DM: The oceans are changing rapidly, almost more rapidly than we can record the changes. Diving with sharks, on coral reefs of Hawaii or in the kelp forests of our own marine sanctuary, is a spiritual experience, one that not everyone is so fortunate to experience. I used to see many more sharks off the California coastline. Fishermen can tell you firsthand that sharks are growing more rare not just on coral reefs, but here in the waters of our own marine sanctuary. We need to reverse this trend, and we can only achieve it through awareness and compassion for the seas that sustain us a species.

LH: have you done any diving or film making in northern California?
DM: I started diving in Central California, and just last weekend went diving off Sonoma! After filming in the Tuamotus, the wetsuits and extra gear here add a new layer of complexity. It is much more challenging and in many ways more rewarding diving here than in the more benign conditions of the tropics.  It is particularly challenging to film given the waves and winds along our coast. Californians are fortunate to live along a remarkable coastline, with a population that as a whole defines itself by the Pacific Ocean. I'm currently working on a film shot in Marine Protected Areas and Reserves off our coastline, including parts of the GFNM Sanctuary.

LH: Have you experienced any close calls while filming sharks?
DM: Not really. I love sharks and when I'm in their world, it's not about my experience but about the sharks experience to this invader in their ocean world. Most of the time the big sharks swim away or give a brief ocean check, then leave. It's what made Sharks: Stewards of the Reef difficult to make; we didn't chum or attract sharks like so many other films, we attempted to film them in their natural behavior, which is generally disinterested in us. That is why we dove in remote islands with hundreds of sharks; eventually one is going to give you a close up and smile!

LH: What can be done to stop the practice of shark finning?
DM: There are several approaches. First, we need to realize that there are very few instances of sharks killing humans worldwide. However, humans are erasing many shark species from the seas, and as emphasized in "Sharks: Stewards of the Reef," sharks are important components of the ocean. We need sharks, and they are amazing animals. People need to understand that the finning industry, motivated by increasing affluence and demand for shark fin soup is driving an industry that is unsustainable and harming the ocean. Since shark fin soup is primarily a cultural dish, we need to be careful about condemning the culture while we point out the practice of killing a shark for its fins then discarding the animal is wrong and cruel, and is occurring at the rate of tens of millions per year.

We need to rely on youth to appreciate the ocean and sharks, commit to protecting sharks and take action by saying no to shark finning. Advocates can gain an appreciation of sharks and persuade friends, family, media, and legislators that sharks are essential for a healthy ocean. This includes our local Great Whites - amazing animals that are being threatened with extinction worldwide.  We can write the executives or divest in companies that trade in shark fins such as the online trader alibaba.com, owned 40% by Yahoo. There are other steps on our website.

The important thing is to be aware and respect all ocean life.