It’s hoped that free public screenings of The Last Shark documentary will create awareness about the various dangers that the shark species face.
The documentary aims to start an educational movement to shift public perception around great white sharks, their disappearance off South Africa’s coasts, the rapid decline of the shark species, and the use of “shark culling nets” in KwaZulu-Natal.
The Last Shark premiered at the Labia Theatre on Tuesday, with a number of free public screenings scheduled to take place along the coast.
A large focus of the documentary was the KZN Sharks Board whose nets killed between 20 and 30 great white sharks alone each year, said director and producer Frankie Chipparoni.
“We don’t want a call for an end to it (the KZN Sharks Board) because it is a very highly employed place. It has the potential to be a really great conservation organisation.
‘Rght now, they’re killing over 400 sharks a year by deploying nets and drumlines. They have 37 netted beaches and 177 drumlines,” Chipparoni said.
“What we’re really calling for is a transformation of the KZN Sharks Board and promoting alternatives.”
Several are being used within South Africa’s waters such as Shark Spotters, the Shark Safe Barrier and the Fish Hoek exclusion barrier.
“We want to show that by taking out these nets that are just indiscriminate killing machines, we can protect our waters. We can help the marine life here replenish,” Chipparoni added.
One of the most concerning findings is that the global population of great white sharks hovers between 3000 and 5000, she said.
While globally around 500 shark species exist, 200 of these can be found in South Africa alone.
“And a lot of them are already at risk of extinction. So the time to act is truly now,” Chipparoni said.
Public screenings are expected to take place in Algoa Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, George, Hermanus and Durban. Thereafter the documentary will be made available on YouTube. For more information, visit
The Last Shark documentary on social media platforms.