A proposed Oregon ballot initiative aimed at eliminating animal cruelty exemptions is raising alarms across the commercial fishing and agricultural sectors, with critics warning it could fundamentally alter– or even criminalize– longstanding practices.
Known as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act, the measure seeks to amend Oregon law by removing existing exemptions that currently protect activities like fishing, hunting, farming, and wildlife management from being classified as animal abuse.
According to the text of the proposal, the Act’s purpose is to “remove the current exemptions that allow for the inhumane and unnecessary abuse, neglect of animals” and to ensure animals are treated in ways that minimize “pain, stress, fear, and suffering.”
At the core of the concern for commercial fishermen is how the bill redefines unlawful harm. The proposal would make it a crime to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly injure or kill an animal, with limited exceptions, only for immediate self-defense. Currently, statutory protections for “lawful fishing, hunting, and trapping activities” would be removed under the revised language.
That shift has drawn sharp criticism from industry groups and outside observers. Reporting from Outkick states that the measure “isn’t really about stopping cruelty” but instead would “outlaw hunting, fishing, trapping and farming entirely,” by eliminating those long-standing exemptions. They also noted the initiative has already gathered more than 100,000 signatures toward qualifying for Oregon’s Nov. 2026 ballot.
Oregon supports hundreds of thousands of licensed fishermen and tens of thousands of jobs tied to farming, ranching, and natural resource industries. Outkick reported that nearly one million Oregonians could be affected by the measure, including fishermen, processors, and others tied to the seafood supply chain.
Economically, the stakes are equally high. According to figures cited on Outkick, hunting and fishing generate roughly $1.9 billion annually in Oregon, supporting coastal economies and small businesses that rely on locally harvested seafood.
The PEACE Act does include a “Human Transition Fund” designed to support workers and industries affected by the proposed changes, including job retraining programs and income replacement for those leaving now-prohibited activities. Still, for many in the commercial fishing industry, the concern is less about transition and more about survival.
If the measure qualifies and is approved by votes, the changes to Oregon’s animal abuse statutes would become operative within 30 days of the election.
