Commerce Dept. would lead new shark depredation task force
Placed on the calendarS. 2314Latest action
Sponsor: Rick Scott · Senator · FL
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
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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The SHARKED Act would create a federal task force to study and reduce shark interference with fishing, reporting to Congress every two years.
50-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 steal or damage fish caught on hooks or in nets. The task force would coordinate research, develop strategies to reduce harmful encounters between sharks and people, and produce educational materials for fishermen. It would automatically end no later than seven years after it is created.
Who does it affect?
The task force would include representatives from regional fishery management councils, state fish and wildlife agencies, marine fisheries commissions, and shark researchers. Commercial and recreational fishermen, coastal state agencies, and federal fisheries managers would be primarily affected.
Why does it matter?
Shark depredation creates friction between sharks and fishing operations, and there is currently no dedicated federal body coordinating research or responses to these encounters. This task force would fill that gap and add shark depredation as an eligible research topic under existing federal fisheries programs.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedJul 16, 2025
- Senate committee
- Senate voteYou are here · Mar 4, 2026
- House
- The president's desk
Right now: it was placed on the , and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 349.