Sharks are increasingly stealing fish right off the lines of commercial and recreational fishers — a problem known as "shark depredation" — and it's getting worse as shark populations recover and climate change shifts their habitats. This bill would create a federal task force bringing together fishery managers, state wildlife agencies, and shark researchers to study why it's happening, develop strategies to reduce it (including non-lethal deterrents), and produce educational materials for the fishing community. The task force would report to Congress every two years and sunset after seven years. It also adds shark depredation research as an eligible project under existing fishery funding.
Congressional Summary
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 and others with relevant expertise.The task force must report its findings to Congress within two years after the bill's enactment and every two years thereafter until the task force is terminated. The task force sunsets within seven years after the date of its establishment.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Reported to Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-03-04
- Date Added
- 2026-04-09