Sharks are taking a bite out of anglers’ catch in the Gulf of Mexico, but culling isn’t likely to help

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James Marcus Drymon, Mississippi State University

(THE CONVERSATION) Fishermen across the Gulf of Mexico are reporting that something is eating fish off their lines. What’s to blame? Many recreational anglers point a finger at sharks.

This conflict has caught politicians’ attention. Congress has directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which regulates fishing in U.S. waters, to review shark and dolphin interactions with fisheries, and the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the SHARKED Act, which would create a task force to address the problem.

I’ve studied this conflict, which is formally called depredation, for the past decade. While some shark populations in the Gulf of Mexico, such as bull sharks, are increasing, my colleagues and I have found evidence that human perceptions are also an important factor.

Sharky waters

The Gulf of Mexico is home to more than 70 species of sharks – and those are just the ones that scientists know...