Commerce Dept. asked to form shark depredation task force
Passed one chamberH.R. 207Latest action
Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman · Representative · VA
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Official title: SHARKED Act of 2025
119th Congress
Topics: Environment & energy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HR 207 creates a federal task force to study sharks stealing fish from lines and recommend ways to reduce those conflicts.
45-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
This bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to form a task force focused on shark depredation, which is when sharks take fish off fishing lines or disrupt fishing. The group would coordinate research, recommend management strategies, and share educational materials with fishers. It must report to Congress every two years and will close automatically after seven years.
Who does it affect?
The task force would include fishery councils, state coastal wildlife agencies, marine fisheries commissions, federal fisheries officials, and shark researchers. Commercial and recreational fishers in coastal states and U.S. territories would be most directly affected.
Why does it matter?
Without coordinated research and communication, fishing managers and shark scientists have limited ways to share information or address depredation together. This bill creates a structure for that coordination and adds shark depredation research to the list of projects eligible under existing federal fisheries law.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedJan 3, 2025
- House committee
- House vote
- SenateYou are here · Jan 22, 2025
- The president's desk
Right now: it passed the House, and the official record shows nothing new since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.