Bill Would Address Shark Encounters

Shark encounters and depredation events have always been a part of fishing. Unfortunately, anglers have observed that shark interactions are becoming more frequent, leading to damage or loss of fish, bait and gear. Not only are these interactions frustrating, but also dangerous. Due to their growing frequency throughout many parts of the country, especially along the Atlantic coast, the southeastern United States and the western Pacific anglers are demanding attention be brought to the issue.

In June 2023, legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to help mitigate this issue. The bill would improve communication and coordination across the fisheries management community on shark depredation, setting a path forward to reduce the frequency of these interactions.

According to the American Sportfishing Association on June 12, 2023, U.S. Representatives Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Garret Graves (R-La.) and Marc Veasey (D-Tex.) introduced the Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research, Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue (SHARKED) Act (H.R. 4051) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill focuses on shark depredation by establishing a task force comprised of fisheries managers and shark experts responsible for improving coordination and communication across the fisheries management community on shark depredation. The task force will identify research priorities and funding opportunities to limit depredation throughout the country.