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SPCA opposes human activities that result in the injuries or deaths of New Zealand sea lions. SPCA advocates for increased protection of sea lion welfare and recover the species to non-threatened status. Our organisation is concerned with fisheries activities that impact sea lions, particularly around breeding populations.

SPCA advocates that wild fish and aquatic invertebrates must be treated humanely and practices that have the potential to cause unnecessary pain, injury or suffering must be avoided.

SPCA advocates for the use of methods of population control that minimise the negative welfare harms caused to targeted and non-targeted animals.

SPCA advocates for an animal welfare impact assessment for any activity that may cause negative welfare impacts to wildlife, including damage to the environment itself, e.g., the pollution of land, air, or water.

SPCA advocates for the humane slaughter of eels. SPCA advocates that all eels must be unconscious for the duration of desliming or killed before they are deslimed.

SPCA acknowledges that feral cats are considered a pest under New Zealand law and recognises the need to act on ecological and conservation concerns where predation is likely to be a serious problem. Our organisation opposes methods of killing feral cats which do not result in a humane death.

SPCA supports ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management that identify effects on ecosystems and the welfare of target and non-target species.

SPCA advocates animals should only be hunted with methods that minimise the negative welfare impacts. SPCA opposes the hunting of animals with dogs because of the negative impacts to the welfare of both the hunted animal and the dogs.

SPCA opposes the farming of wild and non-domesticated species (such as ostriches, emu, animals for fur, and most species of fish) because it is unlikely that farming systems can ensure the animals live a Good Life where they experience positive welfare and their physical, health, and behavioural needs are met.

SPCA advocates that only trapping methods that minimise the negative welfare harms caused to targeted and non-targeted animals.