What Can We Do About Sharks Stealing Our Catches? Congress Wants Answers, Too

A new bill that passed the House and is cruising through the U.S. Senate aims to better understand the “taxman” problem and look for potential solutions

By Kris Millgate – Outdoor Life

It’s no accident that a shark-related bill moving quickly through Congress was introduced by legislators in coastal states, where the problem of sharks stealing fish off anglers’ lines has become commonplace. The bipartisan SHARKED Act stands for Supporting the Health of Aquatic Ecosystems through Research, Knowledge, and Enhanced Dialogue. It would establish a task force for understanding and dealing with the rise in shark depredations that saltwater anglers and charter captains say is a real concern.

“Feeding sharks with the fish we hook is an everyday occurrence for me and just about every other charter captain I know in the Florida Keys,” Capt. Joel Brandenburg told Outdoor Life in July 2024. “The sharks roaming ledges and reefs are trained to come to fishing boats and hang there waiting for an easy meal.” CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY