Oregon Petition to Criminalize Hunting and Fishing Moves Forward as Rural and Coastal Jobs Face Risk

An Oregon petition seeking to criminalize hunting, fishing, and pest control has met the signature threshold to proceed to the next stage.

However, the measure could turn into an economic fight for rural and coastal Oregon, where the industry makes a significant contribution to the economy.

Petition To Criminalize Hunting, Fishing, Pest Control

The group, People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions, criminalizes hunting, fishing, and pest control in Oregon in an effort to criminalize the killing of animals for food. Their petition seeks to get a measure on the November 2026 ballot in the state.

Signatures have been collected since 2024 for Initiative Petition 28, which would make it illegal to injure or kill animals by effectively banning hunting, fishing, and the breeding of animals.

Last week, the petition reached the number of signatures necessary to make it onto the November ballot, although the Secretary of State still needs to verify the signatures.

Impact of Push to Criminalize Hunting & Fishing In Southern Oregon

The proposed measure seeks to protect animals, but could turn into an economic fight for rural and coastal Oregon, because ODFW says hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching generated more than $1.2 billion in spending in 2019, for example, and supports over 11,000 jobs.

Commercial fisheries alone are tied to about 9,200 jobs statewide, and Oregon commercial fisheries generated $642 million in income in 2021.

A separate report has also confirmed that the $1,2 billion generated by fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching across all 36 Oregon counties includes about 397 million from recreational fishing, about $228 million from hunting, and about $579 million from wildlife watching.