Recreational fishermen claim they are losing their catch to sharks, and rather than adapting their fishing practices, they are claiming that shark populations have “exploded.” In reality, NOAA has documented that U.S. Atlantic shark populations have been on a steep decline since the 1980s.
We cannot let the sportfishing lobby write the rules for ocean conservation. As Shark Stewards, we must demand that ocean policy be guided by peer-reviewed science, not the frustrations of anglers losing a catch.
Support Science Not Fear: The SHARKED Act
We, the undersigned—a coalition of divers, surfers, kayakers, fishermen, swimmers and ocean recreationists write to express our urgent concern regarding the SHARKED Act (H.R. 207 / S. 2314). While the bill is framed as a research initiative to address “shark depredation,” we fear it serves as a legislative “Trojan Horse” for the recreational fishing lobby to roll back decades of shark conservation.
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