HB3831, the Florida Safe Seas Act of 2025, would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to prohibit feeding sharks in the exclusive economic zone off the State of Florida. The bill makes a narrow change to existing federal shark-feeding restrictions by adding Florida to the states covered by the statute, which currently includes Hawaii. In practical terms, it would extend a federal prohibition on shark feeding activities in offshore waters adjacent to Florida.
The measure is a targeted fisheries and marine safety bill focused on shark interaction management in Florida waters. It does not create a new standalone regulatory scheme; instead, it modifies an existing federal provision in 16 U.S.C. 1866 to broaden the geographic scope of the shark-feeding ban. The bill was introduced in the House and later received in the Senate, where it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend federal fisheries law to expressly prohibit feeding sharks in the exclusive economic zone off Florida, placing Florida on the same footing as Hawaii under the Magnuson-Stevens Act provision. The change would affect individuals, tour operators, dive charters, and others engaged in shark-feeding or related wildlife interaction activities in offshore Florida waters, and it would give federal authorities a clearer statutory basis for enforcement in that area.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally favorable and low-conflict sentiment around the bill. It was introduced by a Florida Republican and co-sponsored by a Florida Democrat, indicating bipartisan support for the measure. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided material, and the bill’s narrow scope suggests it was framed as a public safety and marine management measure rather than a broader policy dispute.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, if any, would likely center on whether a federal shark-feeding ban is necessary in Florida waters, how it might affect tourism and commercial wildlife activities, and whether enforcement should be handled federally or left to state regulation. However, the bill text and available history do not show recorded opposition or formal disagreement.