SHARKED Act of 2025
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The bill would direct the Secretary of Commerce to create a task force of fishery managers, state agencies, and researchers to study shark depredation — sharks stripping fish off hooked lines before anglers can reel them in — and recommend ways to address it.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force made up of representatives from regional fishery management councils, marine fisheries commissions, coastal state fish and wildlife agencies, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and researchers with expertise in shark management, behavior, and ecology. The task force would work to improve coordination between fisheries managers and shark researchers, identify research priorities such as shark stock assessments and non-lethal deterrent techniques, recommend management strategies, and coordinate educational materials for anglers. The task force would have to report its findings to Congress within two years of enactment and every two years after that, and would sunset no later than seven years after being established. The bill would also add shark depredation research as an eligible project category under existing Magnuson-Stevens Act fishery research provisions, but would not change the Secretary's authority under the Endangered Species Act or the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Key provisions
- 1Would direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a shark depredation task force
- 2Would specify task force membership, including regional fishery councils, marine fisheries commissions, coastal state agencies, and researchers
- 3Would assign the task force responsibilities including improving coordination, identifying research priorities, developing management strategies, and distributing educational materials
- 4Would require a report to Congress within two years of enactment and every two years thereafter
- 5Would sunset the task force no later than seven years after its establishment
- 6Would add shark depredation research as an eligible project category under existing fishery research authority
Who would be affected
Recreational and commercial anglers affected by sharks stripping catch from lines, regional fishery management councils, coastal state fish and wildlife agencies, marine fisheries commissions, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and shark researchers who would serve on or report to the new task force.
Why it matters
Anglers and fishery managers have raised concerns that shark depredation is increasing and disrupting recreational and commercial fishing. A federally coordinated task force could produce research funding priorities, management recommendations, and educational outreach, giving Congress a structured, recurring report on the issue rather than fragmented regional efforts.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Section 318(c) (16 U.S.C. 1867(c)) (Sec. 2(b))
Adds shark depredation research, including causes and solutions, as an eligible category of fishery research projects.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Task force's first report to Congress on its findings
- Task force sunset after establishment
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the SHARKED Act would cost approximately $2 million over the 2026–2030 period in discretionary spending, with no effect on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit.
CBO estimates that S. 2314, the SHARKED Act of 2025, would have no effect on direct (mandatory) spending or revenues, leaving the deficit unchanged over the 2026–2035 period. The bill's only costs come from discretionary spending — funds that require future congressional appropriations — estimated at less than $500,000 per year, totaling roughly $2 million over 2026–2030, to cover task force travel and staff work to produce biennial reports; costs beyond 2030 were not estimated. CBO found no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
The Secretary of Commerce would appoint task force members from the specified councils, commissions, and agencies, plus outside researchers. The task force would carry out its listed responsibilities—coordination, research prioritization, strategy development, and educational outreach—without a specified funding authorization, and would report to Congress on a two-year cycle. The task force would automatically terminate seven years after its establishment unless work concludes earlier. Separately, an amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Act would formally add shark depredation studies as an eligible category for existing fishery research projects.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 349.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill requires the Department of Commerce to establish a task force to address and report to Congress about critical needs with respect to shark depredation. (Shark depredation is the partial or complete removal of a hooked fish by a shark directly from a fishing line before the line is retrieved.)
The duties of the task force are, among other responsibilities, to (1) develop ways to improve coordination and communication across the fisheries management and shark research communities; (2) identify research priorities and funding opportunities; (3) develop recommended management strategies to address shark depredation; and (4) coordinate the development and distribution of educational materials.
The bill specifies that the task force must include representatives of each Regional Fishery Management Council, each Marine Fisheries Commission, the fish and wildlife agencies of coastal states, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The task force must also include researchers and others with relevant expertise.
The task force must report its findings to Congress within two years after the bill's enactment and every two years thereafter until the task force is terminated. The task force sunsets within seven years after the date of its establishment.
Legislative subjects
Advisory bodies; Aquatic ecology; Congressional oversight; Environmental assessment, monitoring, research; Fishes; Marine and coastal resources, fisheries; Public Lands and Natural Resources
Committee report
S. Rept. 119-114