In July, U.S. Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Supporting the SHARKED, Act. This legislation aims to tackle a growing challenge for saltwater anglers: shark depredation, the action where sharks attack and consume hooked fish before the anglers can get their catch into the boat. If the legislation is passed, the SHARKED Act the Secretary of Commerce would be directed to form a task force on reducing these harmful shark-angler incidents. The task force would combine state and federal fisheries managers, marine scientists, and fishing industry stakeholders to develop practical strategies to remedy this increasing problem. Some marine professionals believe that this problem has increased due to the significant increase in global warming. It’s thought by some marine biologists that the increased warming has created movements in fish migrations that have shifted the feeding processes. As a result, “these types of Shark incidents have been on the increase and the SHARKED Act “ According to sources, over 75% of anglers have reported shark depredation during fishing trips. That same year, the ASA released a position paper outlining a four-part solution: public education, better coordination in shark management, sensible policy, and expanded research. The rising occurrence of shark depredation is attributed to growing shark populations, increased angler activity, and sharks learning to associate fishing boats with an easy food source. The SHARKED Act seeks to address this through enhanced collaboration, scientific research, and public outreach. The House of Representatives passed the SHARKED Act in January, just weeks after it was introduced, which served as an indication significant support.
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