Outcry sees 'inhumane' machines shut down

by Genevieve Helliwell | 11th February 2010

Three bars in the Western Bay of Plenty have stopped operating the controversial Catcha Cray machines following pressure from customers, the SPCA and animal advocacy organisation SAFE.

This comes after staff at one Auckland pub received firebomb death threats and offensive emails about the arcade-style game, which allows users to catch live crayfish with a metal claw.

The SPCA visited three bars in Auckland yesterday and made the games inoperable.

The Bay of Plenty Times yesterday visited three Tauranga bars believed to have had Catcha Cray machines, to see if their machines were still operating.

At Crate Bar, there were live crayfish in the tank but the machine had an "out of order" sign on the front.

At Brewers Bar in Mount Maunganui, the tank stood in the corner but was empty. At Coyote on The Strand, the Catcha Cray machine had been removed.

A spokesperson for Coyote, who did not want to be named, said even though the machine had not been on the bar's premises for at least two months,  it was still receiving unwanted emails from SAFE and other animal lovers.

- Read more in today's Bay of Plenty Times