Characterizing a century of shark depredation in US Atlantic recreational fisheries

Abstract Shark depredation on target species in US Atlantic recreational fisheries is a growing source of human-wildlife conflict. Efforts to mitigate this conflict require an understanding of how its three principal components—anglers, fisheries, and sharks—have evolved over time. Through a historical perspective, we offer a conceptual framework that characterizes the dynamics of these components in the context of complex management systems for the affected fisheries. Specifically, we integrated observations of shark depredation from the published literature, angler surveys, and social media content to provide a comprehensive overview of the breadth of shark depredation in recreational fisheries in US Atlantic waters from Maine to Texas, and the US Caribbean. This exercise revealed that shark depredation is widespread, with 207 unique target-depredator connections (at least 51 target species impacted by 22 shark depredators). The most prevalent shark depredators included both authorized species that may be harvested (e.g. bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas) and prohibited species that may not (e.g. sandbar sharks C. plumbeus). This broad characterization further clarifies the actors (anglers, fisheries, sharks, and managers) that should be considered in ongoing efforts to establish valid shark depredation solutions, evaluates mitigation options given US regulatory constraints, and identifies priorities for future research.