I'll concede that most sharks are harmless to humans -- but these folks do go a bit far for my taste.

[C]onservationists are out to rehabilitate the image of the shark and rally support for protecting the misunderstood fish's dwindling numbers.

They say about 20 percent of the world's sharks are estimated to be threatened -- and are calling upon to public to give up its fear and start acting on the predator's behalf.

''They're not all just teeth,'' said Sonja Fordham, policy director of the Belgium-based Shark Alliance and director of the shark conservation program of the Washington-based Ocean Conservancy.

Fine -- protect them.

But "misunderstood fish"? That ranks up there with "undocumented alien". What next -- shoplifters as "cashless customers"?