Wild Animals and Birds Amendment Act 2020Share

sunzi

Just read that a "Wild Animals and Birds (Amendment) Act 2020" was passed which is all encompassing - I.e. including fishes!  Does this mean that fishing using rod and line is now illegal?  I can't find any exemption in the Act for sport fishing, even for catch and release, because releasing of animals into the environment is now illegal too.  Can anyone here clarify?

Michael Lim

Read this :

https://www.parliament.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/wild-animals-and-birds-(amendment)-bill-15-2020.pdf

under number 5, Section 3 of the principal Act is repealed and the following section substituted therefor:4“Operation of other written laws3.—(1) To avoid doubt, nothing in this Act affects or limits the operation of the following written laws:

(h) the Fisheries Act (Cap. 111)

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/FA1966

and under it :

Exemption25.—(1)  The Director-General may, with the approval of the Minister, exempt from the provisions of this Act, either absolutely or conditionally —(a)any person attached to a scientific institution who fishes only for the purposes of scientific research; or(b)any person who fishes for personal consumption.

So we should be safe, for now.