A scene some Jersey Shore officials fear could turn into a real-life “Jaws” is unfolding near popular beaches, where fishermen are using bait to lure large sharks while families and children swim nearby.
Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis told The Post that some anglers have been sending kayaks and drones offshore to drop bloody bait fish into the Atlantic in hopes of attracting sharks. At times, he said, leftover bait can drift back toward swimmers closer to the beach.
“It’s ‘Jaws’ all over again,” Curtis said angrily. “It’s crazy — a disaster headed straight for us! I’ve personally seen them chumming for sharks, even during the day. God forbid a child gets bitten or killed.”
His concerns follow reports that Jersey Shore surf fishermen have legally caught at least four bull sharks and one tiger shark. Both species are among the sharks most often linked to unprovoked attacks on humans.
Curtis said Bay Head has limited authority to intervene. While he called the chumming dangerous and irresponsible, he noted that the practice itself is not illegal.
“My hands are tied. The laws can’t help us. The lifeguards keep watch, and we made a town resolution encouraging anglers to comply with state and federal regulations but that’s all we can do.”
So far this summer, the area has seen numerous shark sightings but no reported attacks. Curtis warned, however, that conditions could change quickly.
“Sharks only have one job and that is to get food,” said Kenny Rosenblatt, owner of the shark fishing charter company East Coast Shredderz, who works alongside Jake, Kurtis and Mac. “Most, like us, catch and release responsibly, but there are fishermen who don’t do things right.”
The controversy comes as sharks are already finding plenty of reasons to cruise close to the Jersey coast — and nearby New York shores too.
Huge schools of squid and sand eels have created an underwater buffet for predators, while warming ocean temperatures are allowing some shark species to arrive earlier and remain longer.
“I’m hearing about bull sharks every week, almost every day,” New Jersey Fish and Wildlife biologist Greg Hinks told the Asbury Park Press. “It’s unprecedented.”
The chilling controversy echoes the darkest summer in Jersey Shore history.
In 1916, a rogue shark terrorized the Garden State for 12 days, attacking five people and killing four of them. The predator — long believed to be a great white, though historians now debate whether it was a bull shark — was finally caught and gutted, with human remains found inside.
The attacks inspired Peter Benchley’s novel “Jaws,” which became Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster.
More than a century later, Jersey Shore officials are hoping history doesn’t repeat itself.
“We can only pray the season ends without anyone getting killed,” added Curtis.
