Commercial rock lobster fisheries closed due to antibiotic trade risk

Tasmania's environment department has announced the closure of commercial rock lobster and commercial dive fisheries in parts of the state's south-east. The move is designed to reduce international trade risks linked to the use of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) in salmon farms in the area. What's next? The salmon industry is seeking an emergency permit to use the antibiotic florfenicol in salmon pens in the state's south-east, which could trigger further closures. Commercial rock lobster and dive fisheries in parts of Tasmania's south-east will stay closed for three months to "mitigate trade risks" linked to antibiotic use by the salmon industry. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) has issued two notices declaring certain commercial areas closed from November 15 this year to February 14 next year. The commercial taking of rock lobster and the setting of rock lobster pots will not be allowed within parts of the Southern Channel "Therapeutic Management Area" (TMA). Commercial divers will not be allowed to take short-spined sea urchins, long-spined sea urchins and periwinkles in the Northern Channel TMA. The notice for commercial divers says the closure is "part of the arrangements to mitigate trade risks associated with aquaculture therapeutant use." NRE last month released its Wild Fisheries Market Access Plan ahead of the planned use of antibiotics to treat a bacterial disease that caused mass deaths in salmon farms over the past two summers. Under the plan, wild fisheries near salmon pens treated with antibiotics get temporarily closed. This is done to avoid the risk of antibiotic detections in wild seafood that could trigger export bans by countries with zero tolerance. Closures linked to use of oxytetracycline by Tassal The new closures are linked to salmon company Tassal's recent use of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) at its salmon farms at Great Taylors Bay and Meads Creek in the lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel. "This localised, temporary closure is a precaution to protect export market access in an area accounting for approximately 1.6 per cent of Tasmania's annual historical rock lobster catch," a Tassal spokesperson said. Tassal has been administering OTC by injection, rather than orally through medicated food. "Public Health has confirmed swimming and recreational fishing remain completely safe," the Tassal spokesperson said. "We recognise the consequences for any affected commercial rock lobster fishers and are working with the wild fisheries sector on appropriate support, with monitoring underway to support reopening as soon as possible." Salmon Tasmania, which represents the state's three main salmon companies, has separately applied for an emergency permit to use the antibiotic florfenicol to treat the bacterial disease. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is currently seeking public submissions about the application, with a decision likely this month. The salmon industry received an emergency permit to use florfenicol late last year, but it was revoked in March this year after florfenicol was detected in wild seafood more than 10 kilometres away. In a statement, an NRE spokesperson said it was a "precautionary closure, in line with the Aquaculture Therapeutant Wild Fisheries Market Access Management Plan, designed to protect market access for Tasmania's wild fisheries and was not related to any food safety concern".