Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Exempted from Animal Legislation
GW: A relief, indeed, that the professional outdoor media does not have to fear prosecution for publishing photographs or videos of hunting and fishing. As crazy as it seems, it was all on the line all the way to the Supreme Court last year.
Washington, DC – Members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) successfully exempted video depicting hunting, trapping and fishing in the “Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010” as approved by the U.S. Senate in September and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last night .
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), in partnership with Safari Club International (SCI) and the National Rifle Association (NRA), earlier this year expressed concerns to the leadership of the CSC that the legislative language in the bill should explicitly exclude videos and television programs showing legal hunting, fishing and trapping activities.
“While we all oppose malicious cruelty to animals such as those seen in these videos, it was vitally important that this legislation specifically address the filming, distribution and sale of legally produced hunting, fishing and trapping video and television programming,” said CSC House Co-Chair, Rep. Paul Ryan.
On April 20 of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 1999 federal law that prohibited the production and distribution of videos depicting the shocking form of animal cruelty known as “crush videos.” CSF joined Safari Club International in an amicus curiae brief in this case, raising concerns about the potential impact of the decision on hunting videos.
“This legislation, thanks to the work of the CSC, alleviates the concerns that the sportsman’s community had about a potential ban on legitimate hunting, fishing and trapping videos,” said CSF President Jeff Crane.
