The Florida Safe Seas Act Feeding Ban (H.R. 3831) seeks to prohibit shark feeding in federal waters off Florida’s coast. Supporters claim it protects marine life and public safety but critics warn it could harm conservation, tourism, and scientific research.
Here’s a closer look at the facts, politics, and science behind this controversial bill.
Article researched and written by Kendall Traiser, Shark Angels Intern and student studying Marine Science attending Florida Gulf Coast University. Edited and posted by Jamie Pollack
What Is the Florida Safe Seas Act Feeding Ban (H.R. 3831)?
Introduced in 2025, the Florida Safe Seas Act would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to ban shark feeding in Florida’s federal waters – known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The EEZ extends 200 nautical miles offshore, where the U.S. controls fishing and conservation activities (NOAA, 2020). If passed, the law would prohibit shark feeding for tourism, education, or research, while still allowing shark fishing.
In other words, feeding sharks for profit or science would be illegal, but feeding them to catch and kill them would remain legal.
A map highlighting Florida’s Congressional Districts (2025); Daniel Webster (District 11 – green), and his cosponsors, Rep. Darren Soto (District 9 – orange), Rep. John H. Rutherford (District 5 – pink), Rep. Mike Haridopolos (District 8 – blue), Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (District 12 – orange), and Rep. Gregory W. Steube (District 7 – red).
Who Supports and Who’s Affected by H.R. 3831 Florida Safe Seas Act?
At first glance, “Safe Seas” sounds like a law meant to protect Floridians and wildlife alike. But the bill’s sponsors and supporters including Rep. Daniel Webster (District 11) and several co-sponsors from landlocked or minimally coastal districts represent areas with little to no shark diving tourism.
Despite the bill’s far-reaching implications for coastal communities, dive operators, and marine researchers, none of the lawmakers backing it represent districts economically tied to shark tourism.
This raises a key question: Why should representatives with no stake in Florida’s ecotourism industry dictate ocean policy for those who do?
Current Shark Feeding Laws in Florida
Florida already bans shark feeding within state waters roughly three nautical miles offshore on the Atlantic side and nine nautical miles in the Gulf.
This existing law strikes a balance: it limits baited interactions close to shore while allowing safe, regulated shark diving operations in deeper waters.
The new federal ban would extend this prohibition throughout federal waters, effectively outlawing all shark feeding for educational or ecotourism purposes, no matter how safely it’s conducted.
Supporters’ Arguments: “Safety and Conservation”
Proponents like Rep. Webster argue the act will make waters safer for swimmers and reduce sharks’ association of humans with food. Support also comes from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the American Sportfishing Association.
They claim the ban:
- Protects the public from shark encounters
- Prevents sharks from becoming “human-conditioned”
- Promotes conservation
However, these claims lack scientific evidence. There’s no conclusive data that shark feeding increases attacks or changes shark behavior long-term.
Most notably, supporters have provided little transparent reasoning or research behind their positions.
The Case Against the Florida Safe Seas Act
1. Selective Restrictions Favor Fishing Over Conservation
Critics point out the hypocrisy:
- Shark diving operators would face a full ban on baiting.
- Shark fishermen, however, could continue baiting and attracting sharks near beaches.
If the goal is safety, why allow baited fishing which occurs far closer to swimmers while banning regulated dive operations that occur miles offshore?
In places like New Smyrna Beach, often dubbed the Shark Bite Capital of the World, discarded fishing bait is among the leading causes of shark congregation near beaches. Yet, the bill unfairly targets divers and conservationists instead of addressing fishing practices.
2. Educational and Research Value of Shark Diving
Shark diving is more than thrill-seeking. It serves critical roles in:
- Public education: helping people overcome irrational fears of sharks.
- Conservation awareness: showing sharks as vital, not villainous.
- Scientific research: allowing safe observation, tagging, and behavioral studies.
Researchers often use small bait amounts to attract sharks for tagging or data collection a method essential to understanding migration patterns, population health, and ecosystem impact.
Outlawing these practices would stifle marine research and undermine Florida’s reputation as a global leader in ocean science.
3. The Bill Is Rooted in Fear, Not Fact
The Florida Safe Seas Act perpetuates misinformation about shark danger.
According to PETA, humans are far more likely to die from lightning strikes or lawn mower accidents than shark bites.
- Lightning strikes: They kill about 20 humans each year in the U.S.
- A lawn mower: Statistics show that lawn mower accidents cause an average of 70 fatalities a year in the U.S.
Labeling sharks as a public threat fuels fear-based policy instead of science-based conservation.
If the concern were truly public safety, baited fishing near beaches (not regulated shark dives far offshore) would be the logical target.
Scientific Reality: Shark Feeding Doesn’t Disrupt Natural Behavior
A key argument for the bill is that shark feeding conditions sharks to rely on humans for food. However, scientific studies prove otherwise.
Sharks need constant movement and energy to breathe through a process called RAM ventilation.
Research by Wetherbee et al. (1990) on lemon sharks shows they require 1.5–2% of their body weight in food per day.
A typical adult lemon shark (200–400 lbs) needs 3–8 lbs of food daily. Shark divers typically offer less than one pound of bait, a fraction of what they need to survive.
Even larger species like tiger or great white sharks would need ten times that amount.
In short, shark diving operations cannot physically provide enough food to disrupt natural hunting instincts.
Tourism and Economic Impact
Florida’s shark diving industry supports:
- Small coastal businesses
- Dive operators and instructors
- Marine research programs
- Ecotourism-driven local economies
Banning shark feeding in federal waters would cripple a growing segment of sustainable tourism, driving divers and researchers to other countries and hurting Florida’s economy in the process.
A Diver’s Perspective: Experiencing Sharks Without Fear
Hi! My name is Kendall Traiser. I am a Shark Angels intern and a long-time shark diver. I have lived in South Florida nearly my whole life, and I have been scuba diving since I was 10. I began shark diving at 12. My first-ever shark dive was off Jupiter, Florida, and it changed my life. It is a truly unexplainable experience to be in the water alongside sharks that are actively being fed. It reveals the true nature of these creatures and proves that they are not hunting humans for sport, as humans target them. When given the option between fish and human, the shark will always bite the fish first. This is proven every time these shark diving operations enter the water and offer fresh-cut fish to predators double their own size.
This firsthand experience reflects the true goal of shark diving: education through encounter. It’s about replacing fear with respect something no classroom or documentary can fully replicate.
Being underwater with feeding sharks changed my life,” says Kendall Traiser, Shark Angels intern and lifelong diver. It shows their true nature which is cautious, curious, not aggressive. When given the choice between fish and human, sharks always go for the fish.
Shark diving needs to be practiced intelligently. Both dive operators and divers should realize they bear responsibility when they choose to offer or partake in shark diving. Both parties must take the responsibility very seriously and take measures to ensure that no unnecessary accidents or incidents occur – to the sharks or the divers. This is critical in protecting the few places left on earth where sharks still thrive, as well as our continued ability to dive with them in those locations. Read Shark Angels Shark Diving Guidelines
Conclusion: Fear Should Not Shape Ocean Policy
The Florida Safe Seas Act is built on fear, not fact. It threatens shark awareness & research, education, ocean conservation, and Florida’s ecotourism industry while doing little to improve safety.
Sharks are not the enemy but ignorance is.
By banning responsible, research-backed shark diving, we risk silencing a movement that teaches people to protect rather than persecute these vital ocean predators
If we want truly safe seas, policy must be guided by science, not superstition.
Kendall’s theory
The creators of this bill are worried that conservationists are becoming too powerful. We are gaining influence on social media and the internet, encouraging people to pay more attention to politicians’ actions and their consequences. The districts supporting the bill are not near any shark diving areas, so there is no reason for them to push for this, and certainly, no reason for it to pass.
References
- Congress.gov – H.R. 3831 Florida Safe Seas Act
- Rep. Daniel Webster Press Release (2025)
- NOAA – Exclusive Economic Zone
- PETA – Shark Attack vs. Other Causes of Death
- Wetherbee, B.M., Gruber, S.H., & Cortés, E. (1990). Diet, feeding habits, and digestion in sharks. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 90.1.