Target: Milton Dick, House Speaker for Australia
Goal: Amend animal welfare laws to safeguard fish and other marine life kept as pets.
A controversial TikToker from Australia has brought renewed scrutiny to the nation’s animal cruelty laws. The influencer posts numerous videos of his 5,200-gallon shark tank. While he logs many views, he has also received criticism for the sheer number of marine beings that are forced to live in this relatively small enclosure. A total of 11 sharks—as well as numerous rays and eels—reside in the tank. One video even documents a newcomer to the aquarium nearly being consumed by a larger shark.
“That’s too many fish and sharks in a space that size. Just watching them bank and turn as they try to swim around clearly demonstrates how they are trying to cope with a space that isn’t big enough for them and their swimming habits,” said a leader of the Animal Welfare Institute. The problem: such cruel setups are perfectly legal in the nation because fish and other such animals enjoy essentially no protections from animal cruelty under the law. Therefore, these animals can be harmed, tortured, and even killed with no legal repercussions.
Sign the petition below to demand amendments to these affronts to animal welfare standards.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Speaker Dick,
Social media sites are a manifestation of the consequences of lax animal welfare laws in Australia and around the world. Just one individual from Australia has created a stir with his reported videos of multiple sharks being crammed into a small enclosure where they must fight to survive. These beautiful animals—much like most other marine life—have no rights to be free from human-caused harm and death under Australian statutes.
Please close this dangerous loophole that enables unchecked animal cruelty. Ensure all living beings have protection with enhanced animal welfare laws.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Burak Evlivan
