Fish and some species of aquatic invertebrates (e.g. octopus, squid, cuttlefish, lobsters, crayfish, and crabs amongst others) are sentient animals capable of experiencing pain and distress. Humans have a duty of care to ensure fish and aquatic invertebrates are treated humanely.

Fish and aquatic invertebrate welfare can be negatively affected by sudden changes in their environments including temperature, noise, vibration, oxygen concentration, light intensity, and damages to their protective mucous layer. Fishing practices that cause pain, injury, or distress to fish should be avoided and minimised where possible.

SPCA supports the appropriate handling and release of under-sized (illegal) fish if they are to be released, to allow for rapid recovery of physiological homeostasis and resumption of normal behaviour.

SPCA advocates for the regulation of recreational fishing.

SPCA supports the development of standards and guidelines based on evidence for the capacity of fish to experience pain and distress. Compliance with guidelines should be a condition of recreational fishing licences.

SPCA opposes big game fishing for sport due to the prolonged pain, injury, and distress on the fish involved .experiences.

SPCA advocates for a ban on the use of “light tackle” to catch big game fish.

The use of light tackle to land a fish weighing many times the breaking strain of the tackle prolongs the pain and distress the fish experiences. Tackle should be sufficiently robust to ensure the efficient and quick landing of the fish. A fish must immediately be humanely killed after landing.

SPCA supports the use of tackle and gear that is appropriate for the size and type of fish or other aquatic animal targeted.

SPCA supports the use of tackle and gear that minimises landing duration, air exposure and injury; avoids hooking outside the mouth region or deep-hooking whenever possible, and allows safe landing.

SPCA advocates that all recreational fishers must use the most humane method possible for killing captured fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Fish, aquatic invertebrates, and other animals not being released must be killed immediately after capture and, if possible before unhooking, by an appropriate method. At present, humane methods of stunning and slaughter of fish include the “ikijime method” (also known as ikejime or brain spiking) and percussive stunning (e.g. a sharp blow to the cranium using a heavy, blunt object), followed by exsanguination (bleeding-out). SPCA advocates that training in methods of humane stunning and slaughter should be a requirement of gaining the licence.

SPCA opposes the use of live bait in game or other types of recreational fishing.

SPCA opposes the practice of using live animals, e.g. crayfish, fish, and other sentient animals, as a lure for fish because of the pain and distress it causes to the animal used as bait. SPCA advocates for legal protection to extend to animals used as live bait in fishing and trapping. SPCA opposes the use of live animals as bait or a lure for the purpose of fishing, and trapping because of the negative welfare impacts on the bait animal. The practice of threading live animals onto hooks as a lure causes pain and distress to the animal used as bait.

SPCA advocates that if bait animals are to be used for the purposes of luring animals for fishing or trapping, that they must only be used if they have been humanely killed prior to use as a lure.

Recreational fishers should encourage the use of non-animal bait as an alternative to animal bait.

SPCA opposes the use of lead products in recreational fishing because of the negative impacts it causes to animals and the environmental contamination.

SPCA supports the use of lead-free fishing tackle as an alternative to products containing lead. SPCA advocates for all people who fish to act responsibly in relation to their impact on the environment and the animals which live there, including maintenance and decontamination of fishing vessels and disposing of all tackle and fishing gear appropriately.