# The SHARKED Act: Understanding the New Shark Depredation Task Force

This bill creates a new government task force to study and address the problem of sharks damaging fishing equipment and catches. "Shark depredation" is the technical term for when sharks bite fishing lines or eat fish that anglers have already caught, which costs commercial and recreational fishermen money and frustration. The bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to bring together fisheries managers, state wildlife officials, and shark researchers to figure out why these interactions are happening more frequently and what can be done about them.

The task force will include representatives from regional fishing councils, state fish and wildlife agencies, and experts in shark behavior and ecology. Their main jobs are to improve communication between fishing communities and shark researchers, identify what research needs to happen, and develop strategies to reduce harmful shark-human interactions. The group will also create educational materials to help fishermen understand shark behavior and potentially change their practices to minimize conflicts. For example, they might study whether certain fishing techniques attract sharks more than others, or whether sharks are becoming more accustomed to human activity in certain areas.

The task force will submit reports to Congress every two years explaining what they've learned and what solutions they recommend. The group will exist for up to seven years, giving researchers time to gather data and test different approaches. Importantly, the bill also adds shark depredation research to the list of projects that can receive federal funding for fisheries research. The bill doesn't change any existing laws about protecting endangered shark species or managing fisheries—it simply creates a new coordinated effort to understand and address a specific problem that's affecting people who make their living from the ocean.

SHARKED Act of 2025

Wittman, Robert J.

Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue Act of 2025 or the SHARKED Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Commerce to establish a task force to address and report to Congress about critical needs with respect to shark depredation. (Shark depredation is the partial or complete removal of a hooked fish by a shark directly from a fishing line before the line is retrieved.) The duties of the task force are, among other responsibilities, to (1) develop ways to improve coordination and communication across the fisheries management and shark research communities; (2) identify research priorities and funding opportunities; (3) develop recommended management strategies to address shark depredation; and (4) coordinate the development and distribution of educational materials.The bill specifies that the task force must include representatives of each Regional Fishery Management Council, each Marine Fisheries Commission, the fish and wildlife agencies of coastal states, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The task force must also include researchers&nbsp;and others with relevant expertise.The task force must report its findings to Congress within two years after the bill's enactment and&nbsp;every two years thereafter until the task force is terminated. The task force sunsets within seven years after the date of its establishment.&nbsp;&nbsp;