Animal Mother;100726 said:
Yup. Too many businesses see their living creatures as nothing more than ornamental products. Unfortunately I don't think animal cruelty laws apply to marine animals.
It probably depends where you are. In NZ Cephalopods are specifically mentioned in the Animal Welfare Act and the penalties for abusing them are high!
Animal—
(a)Means any live member of the animal kingdom that is—
(i)A mammal; or
(ii)A bird; or
(iii)A reptile; or
(iv)An amphibian; or
(v)A fish (bony or cartilaginous); or
(vi)Any octopus, squid, crab, lobster, or crayfish (including freshwater crayfish); or
(vii)Any other member of the animal kingdom which is declared from time to time by the Governor-General, by Order in Council, to be an animal for the purposes of this Act; and
(b)Includes any mammalian foetus, or any avian or reptilian pre-hatched young, that is in the last half of its period of gestation or development; and
(c)Includes any marsupial pouch young; but
(d)Does not include—
(i)A human being; or
(ii)Except as provided in paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of this definition, any animal in the pre-natal, pre-hatched, larval, or other such developmental stage.
Penalties
A person who commits an offence against section 12 or section 14(1) or section 14(2) or section 21(1) or section 21(2) or section 22(2) or section 23(1) or section 23(2) is liable on summary conviction,—
(a)In the case of an individual, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to a fine not exceeding $25,000 or to both; or
(b)In the case of a body corporate to a fine not exceeding $125,000.
AND
Wilful ill-treatment of animals
(1)A person commits an offence who wilfully ill-treats an animal in such a way that—
(a)The animal is permanently disabled; or
(b)The animal dies; or
(c)The pain or distress caused to the animal is so great that it is necessary to destroy the animal in order to end its suffering.
(2)A person who commits an offence against this section is liable on conviction on indictment,—
(a)In the case of an individual, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to both; or
(b)In the case of a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding $250,000.
So the penalties are fairly stiff, although the courts don't always (in fact rarely) use the full punishment
J