Supporting the Health of Aquatic Systems Through Research Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 207) to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force regarding shark depredation, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 207

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting the Health of Aquatic systems through Research Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue Act of 2025'' or the ``SHARKED Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. SHARK DEPREDATION TASK FORCE AND RESEARCH PROJECTS.

(a) Shark Depredation Task Force.--

(1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a task force (referred to in this subsection as the ``task force'') to identify and address critical needs with respect to shark depredation.

(2) Membership.--The Secretary of Commerce shall appoint individuals to the task force, including--

(A) 1 representative from--

(i) each Regional Fishery Management Council established under section 302(a)(1) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(1));

(ii) each Marine Fisheries Commission, as such term is defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802);

(iii) the fish and wildlife agency of a coastal State from each Regional Fishery Management Council established under section 302(a)(1) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852(a)(1)); and

(iv) the National Marine Fisheries Service;

(B) an individual with expertise in the management of highly migratory species;

(C) a researcher with expertise in shark management and behavior; and

(D) a researcher with expertise in shark ecology.

(3) Responsibilities.--The task force shall--

(A) develop ways to improve coordination and communication across the fisheries management community and shark research community to address shark depredation;

(B) identify research priorities and funding opportunities for such priorities, including--

(i) identifying shark species involved in interactions;

(ii) shark stock assessments;

(iii) how sharks become habituated to humans and thus lead to more interactions between sharks and humans;

(iv) how angler behavior and fishery regulatory frameworks may influence shark interactions;

(v) techniques and strategies to reduce harmful interactions between sharks and humans, including the development and use of non-lethal deterrents;

(vi) the role of healthy shark populations in the ocean food web; and

(vii) climate change impacts on shifting shark populations, prey, and shark behavior;

(C) develop recommended management strategies to address shark depredation; and

(D) coordinate the development and distribution of educational materials to help the fishing community minimize shark interactions including through changed angler behavior and expectations.

(4) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, and every 2 years thereafter until the termination of the task force in accordance with paragraph (5), the task force shall submit to Congress a report regarding the findings of the task force.

(5) Sunset.--The task force shall terminate not later than 7 years after the date on which the Secretary of Commerce establishes the task force.

(6) Coastal state defined.--In this subsection, the term ``coastal State''--

(A) means a State of the United States in, or bordering on, the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, or Long Island Sound; and

(B) includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

(b) Shark Depredation Research Projects.--Section 318(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1867(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(6) Projects to better understand shark depredation, including identifying what causes increases in shark depredation and determining how to best address shark depredation.''.

(c) Effect.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the authority and responsibility of the Secretary of Commerce in carrying out the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1351 et seq.) or the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

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Mr. WESTERMAN. 207, the bill now under consideration.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 207, sponsored by the Committee on Natural Resources vice chairman, Congressman Rob Wittman of Virginia.

Concerns over shark depredation are increasingly common in the Florida Keys, the Gulf of Mexico, and North Carolina's Outer Banks. Shark interactions can be frustrating for anglers, resulting in loss of catch, damaged gear, and degraded fishing experiences. They also potentially impact the post-release survival of both target fish and bycatch.

As the number of reports of shark depredation has increased, the underlying cause remains uncertain. It could be due to an increase in the number of sharks as stocks rebuild, a learned behavior by sharks as they recognize motors, fishing techniques, or shark feeding locations as a source of food. We simply don't have enough information to answer all the questions.

To emphasize the scale of this issue, during the consideration of this legislation, we heard from Captain Jack Graham, who fishes out of the renowned Oregon Inlet in North Carolina. Captain Graham has been keeping records of tuna depredation impacting his small marina of about 25 boats. By his estimates, a staggering 250,000 pounds of tuna are depredated each month during tuna season just within his marina.

To make matters worse, shark depredation involves many Federal and State jurisdictions, but because no single entity is responsible for addressing it, very little is being done.

H.R. 207 would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force to address shark depredation. The task force membership would include representatives from NOAA, the Regional Fishery Management Councils, marine fisheries commissions, State fish and wildlife agencies from the States within the Regional Fishery Management Councils, and non-Federal experts.

In the 118th Congress, this legislation was passed unanimously through the Committee on Natural Resources, and it passed the House by voice vote. I am grateful that we are again considering this legislation that will help the Federal Government respond to the challenge.

Madam Speaker, I applaud Representative Wittman for his work, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), the lead sponsor of this bill.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I again thank my colleague, Mr. Wittman, for taking action to address the challenge that fishing communities across the United States currently face.

I have had the opportunity to do some recreational fishing in the western and eastern Gulf. I have had the opportunity to go out on research vessels and even down in the Florida Keys and on the Atlantic Coast. There is one thing in common, and it is you can be certain somebody is going to be reeling in a fish and a shark is going to take everything but pretty much the lips off of the hook.

People who fish more than I do and who are around this will tell you that it has gotten much more common over the years. Improving coordination between fisheries managers, State agencies, and other experts to solve the challenge of shark depredation is an approach that respects the bottom-up approach that has allowed the United States to be the gold standard in fisheries management.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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