HR 207 · 119th CongressPassed Chamber

SHARKED Act of 2025

Latest updateJan 21, 2025

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H240-241)

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor

Robert Wittman

Introduced

January 3, 2025

Latest action

January 22, 2025

Legislative Progress

How far this bill has traveled through Congress

Introduced

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Sent to White House

Enacted

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Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

Shark depredation—damage to fishing gear and catch caused by sharks—has become an increasingly costly problem for commercial and recreational fishers across U.S. coastal waters. Currently, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and regional fishery management councils address shark interactions through existing fisheries law, but there is no coordinated federal effort specifically focused on understanding the causes of shark depredation or developing strategies to reduce it. Research on shark behavior, habituation to humans, and the effectiveness of deterrents remains fragmented across agencies and institutions, limiting the ability of fishers and managers to respond effectively.

The SHARKED Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force that brings together representatives from regional fishery management councils, state fish and wildlife agencies, NMFS, and shark researchers to identify research priorities and develop management strategies addressing shark depredation. The task force will coordinate communication between fisheries managers and shark researchers, identify which shark species are involved in depredation events, assess shark populations, study how sharks become habituated to human activity, and develop non-lethal deterrent techniques. The task force will also create educational materials to help anglers and commercial fishers modify their behavior and expectations to minimize harmful shark interactions.

The task force must submit its first report to Congress within two years of establishment, then every two years thereafter, and will automatically terminate after seven years. The bill does not provide a specific funding appropriation but directs the task force to identify funding opportunities for research priorities. The task force's work will inform future fisheries regulations and management decisions by NMFS and regional councils, potentially leading to new rules governing fishing practices in areas with high shark depredation. The effort does not alter existing protections under the Endangered Species Act or the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

Key Provisions

1Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a shark depredation task force composed of representatives from regional fishery management councils, state agencies, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and shark researchers to coordinate efforts addressing shark depredation.
2Requires the task force to identify research priorities including shark species identification, stock assessments, shark habituation to humans, angler behavior influences, non-lethal deterrent development, shark ecology, and climate change impacts on shark populations.
3Authorizes the task force to develop recommended management strategies and coordinate the creation and distribution of educational materials to help the fishing community reduce shark interactions through changed behavior.
4Amends Section 318(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to add shark depredation research projects as an eligible use of fisheries research funding.
5Establishes a sunset provision requiring the task force to terminate no later than seven years after establishment, with biennial reports to Congress beginning two years after the task force is established.

★ Why this matters

The bill creates a formal mechanism for coordinating research and management responses to shark depredation, which currently costs commercial and recreational fishers millions of dollars annually in lost catch and damaged equipment. By identifying research gaps and funding priorities, the task force can accelerate development of non-lethal deterrents and management strategies that reduce conflicts between sharks and fishers. The educational component may help fishers adjust practices to minimize interactions, potentially lowering economic losses and reducing pressure for lethal shark control measures.

● Who this affects

Commercial fishers and recreational anglers in Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Arctic coastal waters face the most direct impact, as the task force will develop strategies and educational materials specifically targeting their operations. State fish and wildlife agencies in coastal states, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, will participate in task force decisions and implement resulting management recommendations. The National Marine Fisheries Service and regional fishery management councils will use task force findings to inform future fisheries regulations. Shark researchers and marine scientists will gain access to coordinated funding and research priorities.

Bill Text

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<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 207

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 22, 2025

    Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

                                 AN ACT

 
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force regarding 
               shark depredation, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting the Health of Aquatic 
systems through Research Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue Act of 2025'' 
or the ``SHARKED Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. SHARK DEPREDATION TASK FORCE AND RESEARCH PROJECTS.

    (a) Shark Depredation Task Force.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce shall establish 
        a task force (referred to in this subsection as the ``task 
        force'') to identify and address critical needs with respect to 
        shark depredation.
            (2) Membership.--The Secretary of Commerce shall appoint 
        individuals to the task force, including--
                    (A) 1 representative from--
                            (i) each Regional Fishery Management 
                        Council established under section 302(a)(1) of 
                        the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
                        Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(1));
                            (ii) each Marine Fisheries Commission, as 
                        such term is defined in section 3 of the 
                        Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
                        Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802);
                            (iii) the fish and wildlife agency of a 
                        coastal State from each Regional Fishery 
                        Management Council established under section 
                        302(a)(1) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
                        Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
                        1852(a)(1)); and
                            (iv) the National Marine Fisheries Service;
                    (B) an individual with expertise in the management 
                of highly migratory species;
                    (C) a researcher with expertise in shark management 
                and behavior; and
                    (D) a researcher with expertise in shark ecology.
            (3) Responsibilities.--The task force shall--
                    (A) develop ways to improve coordination and 
                communication across the fisheries management community 
                and shark research community to address shark 
                depredation;
                    (B) identify research priorities and funding 
                opportunities for such priorities, including--
 …

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D-Maryland

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SHARKED Act of 2025

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