Live bait lures not on the line, Animal Justice Party says
Speculation that the NSW Government will consider a ban on live-bait fishing is wrong, the animal rights group that sparked the claim saysA social media scare campaign suggesting the use of live bait for fishing in NSW will be banned under proposed changes to animal cruelty laws is misguided, the group that sparked the controversy says.
Speculation has surfaced online suggesting that Animal Justice Party representative Emma Hurst, a member of the NSW upper house, will work to ban the use of live bait for fishing via two Bills being presented before Parliament.
However, a spokesperson for Hurst told boatsales.com.au today that the two proposed Bills – one to include cephalopods such as octopus and calamari, and molluscs in animal cruelty laws, and the other to increase penalties for animal cruelty offences – were completely separate matters.
“We have received a lot of questions about the [Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Aquatic Animal Recognition)] Bill being linked to the Government’s tougher penalties Bill proposed for debate this Thursday,” the spokesperson said.
“The two are not related, and no amendments are proposed that mirror the aquatic animal Bill.
“There is an offence of the live baiting of dogs currently under [the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act] where people seem to be getting confused, but this is not live baiting in relation to fishing.”
The spokesperson said although the use of live bait for fishing was not a target of both Bills, the Animal Justice Party did not support it.
Harsher penalties
Under changes proposed for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, due to be debated before the NSW Parliament tomorrow, the state will adopt the harshest penalties in Australia for anyone convicted of animal cruelty offences.
In some instances, fines will increase eight-fold, with up to two years’ imprisonment also acting as a deterrent.
The Animal Justice Party's planned changes to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, aimed at broadening the definition of animals to include marine species, has already been presented before the NSW Parliament.
One of the party's policies is to fund research via an industry levy into less painful fishing methods.
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