New Jersey mayor warns of 'Jaws'-like shark risks created by fishermen chumming coastal waters
A New Jersey mayor is warning residents about the dangers caused by fishermen chumming the waters off the Jersey Shore, luring sharks close to areas frequented by swimmers and beachgoers.
The warning comes amid a recent spate of shark sightings along the Eastern Seaboard, as warmer waters draw them closer to shore.
Bay Head mayor Bill Curtis told ABC News that some fisherman have used drones to drop bait in the water, and that bait could theoretically float closer to shore in bathing areas, luring in sharks and putting recreational swimmers at risk.
He also theorized that kayaks could be used to drop the chum.
"If there's no chum, and [the sharks] see a child swimming frantically in the water, they could easily mistake that for chum -- and I do not want to have or see anyone hurt -- or worse, killed -- by a shark who is being lured into our beach," Curtis said in an interview that aired Monday.
He continued, "The chumming is just unconscionable to me. It's luring predators close to shore, and they can't stop them."
In order to get his point across, Curtis likened the potential danger to the classic Steven Spielberg film "Jaws," which famously tells the story of a fictional East Coast beach community plagued by shark attacks and the fishermen who try to find the culprit.
"The only thing that's missing is the music," Curtis said. "It had sharks coming in close to shore, mistaking people for food."
Fishermen are permitted to fish off the beach in the early morning and evenings, and chumming is not illegal, according to Curtis.
"Once the bathing beach opens to the public, they aren't supposed to be there," he explained. "But the sharks don't know that. They'll be there because they're looking for food. And yeah, I guess I am frantic. I don't want anybody to get hurt."
Several shark sightings have been reported up and down the East Coast this summer, including a Great White shark that was spotted off the coast of Maine, a tiger shark spotted near Cape Cod in Massachusetts and more.
Experts say some species have been drawn to warmer waters further north as a result of rising ocean temperatures.
"We've seen really warm-water temperatures that are up into the high 70s and can get up into the 80s during the summer, so that's really hospitable for them," said John Chisholm, adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium, in an interview with ABC News earlier this month.
"Sharks aren't after people, attacks on humans are really rare," Chisholm added. "That being said, they do occur, and you know, the species that have been implicated in the past, tiger sharks, white sharks, they're in the area. You need to respect that, and as we say, be shark smart."
Shark-human interactions are rare and the number of documented unprovoked shark bites on humans each year remains extremely low, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File.
According to the International Shark Attack File, there were 105 shark-human interactions and just 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025.
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