This week, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., brought out the “Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research, Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue (SHARKED) Act” with the support of U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla.
Besides Soto, other co-sponsors include U.S. Reps. Garret Graves, R-La., and Marc Veasey, D-Texas.
The bill “will start to address the increasing challenge of shark depredation, which occurs when a shark eats or damages a hooked fish before an angler can reel in their catch” and “would establish a task force comprised of fisheries managers and shark experts responsible for improving coordination and communication across the fisheries management community on shark depredation and identifying research priorities and funding opportunities.”
“As a lifelong fisherman, I’ve experienced firsthand the impacts of shark depredation and have witnessed its effect on our marine ecosystem,” said Wittman. “I introduced the SHARKED Act to improve the environment of our marine life and sportfishing conditions for anglers while protecting sharks from unsafe conditions and food sources. The SHARKED Act will also serve as the first major step in addressing shark depredation nationwide. I’m proud to have my colleagues on both sides of the aisle join me in this important effort and lead the way for restoring our marine ecosystem and improving fishing experiences for anglers.”
“We must act now to help recreational anglers and commercial fishermen across Florida and the U.S. who are reporting an increase in shark depredation — a phenomenon that negatively impacts fishing experiences, threatens the safety of sharks and humans, and hurts the sustainability of targeted fish populations,” Soto said. “That is why I am proud to co-introduce the Supporting the Health of Aquatic Systems through Research Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue Act (SHARKED) Act, a bill that will direct the Department of Commerce to establish a task force to combat shark depredation and help Florida fishermen while protecting the future of the fishing industry and our marine ecosystems.”
“It’s becoming way too common for Louisiana’s anglers to reel in a hooked red snapper only to realize it’s been chomped in half by sharks. We already pay too much in taxes – the tax collector taking more off the top is salt in the wound,” Graves said. “The SHARKED Act will bring in experts to better understand these populations and unusual animal behaviors and help us keep more of our catch.”
Keep Florida Fishing and the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) are backing the proposal.
“Sharks are a vital part of our ocean ecosystems, but in many parts of the country shark depredation is becoming an increasing problem that is not just an inconvenience, but rather is completely disrupting fishing,” said ASA Vice President of Government Affairs Mike Leonard. “These conflicts are bad for fish, fishermen and sharks. This is a complex and multifaceted challenge that requires a dedicated task force to bring overdue attention to the issue.”
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. Senate.
