IN DEFENCE OF SEA MONSTERS We tend to judge animals by how appealing we find their appearance. A dolphin, a sea otter, a blue whale or a turtle inspires positive feelings, and we understand almost instinctively that they play a vital role in our seas. They are the lucky ones of the ocean, the ones that are easy to protect because everyone wants to protect them. But just as important are those we do not like, those we find unpleasant or, more often, those we fear. In the previous edition, we highlighted the essential role of animals that go unnoticed because of their size, where they live or their nocturnal habits. This year, we are making the challenge even greater by drawing attention to species that have a bad reputation among us. They are the “sea monsters”, the “villains of the ocean”, but without them, our seas would be at serious risk of losing their fragile balance. Championing the role of sharks, jellyfish, sperm whales, sea snakes, giant squid, orcas – so beautiful, yet the subject of so much controversy in our country recently – salps, scorpionfish and all the other members of the “monster club” is the calling card of this fifth edition of WOFF. Sharks are the clearest example. We kill more than 100 million of them every year. That is equivalent to 274,000 sharks a day, 11,400 an hour, 190 a minute and 3 every second. To put that into more tangible terms, we could fill 2,000 football stadiums with a single year’s catch. The legendary image of the killer shark remains embedded in our subconscious, even though every year ten thousand times more people die as a result of lightning strikes, and one hundred thousand times more in road accidents, than from shark attacks. Overcoming the popular image of these “monsters”, shaped in our collective imagination by centuries of misunderstanding, is no easy task. And without changing that image, conserving these stigmatised species becomes almost impossible. That is why we want them to be the emblem of this fifth edition. Because initiatives such as WOFF can open the eyes and minds of those who still do not appreciate the role these animals play in our oceans, their beauty, their history and their evolution. Come to WOFF and enjoy the company of filmmakers, scientists, artists, explorers and athletes who will share their experiences of the ocean with you. Then go out and tell others; spread the message about the beauty and fragility of our oceans, the threats they face and the solutions within our reach. And remember that your attitude, your message and your example can help reveal the reality that also lies behind these supposed “sea monsters”.