Tasmania to toughen animal welfare laws

Animal welfare laws will be toughened in Tasmania after a report on the greyhound racing industry could not conclusively rule out live baiting.

The Tasmanian government has moved to increase the maximum jail term for animal cruelty, from 18 months to five years.

Animal welfare officers will get new powers to enter and gather evidence at greyhound training facilities.

The government is also considering the recommendations of the report, which calls for anyone found guilty of live baiting to face a lifetime ban from the industry.

"There has been no evidence identified that could result in a prosecution for live baiting in Tasmania," the report, tabled in the Tasmanian parliament on Wednesday, also concludes.

"That said, this finding does not exclude the possibility that live baiting could be happening in Tasmania."

The review was triggered by ABC television's Four Corners report in February, which showed graphic footage of live baiting of dogs by some trainers in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.