Florfenicol has been found in wild caught fish, including abalone and lobsters, up to ten kilometres away from salmon farms, according to a statement published by NRE Tas. The Liberal Government needs to protect our local fisheries’ export markets and require salmon farms to destock diseased pens rather than continue dumping antibiotics into marine waters.
It’s very concerning florfenicol has been identified in wild fish with export markets that have zero tolerance for florfenicol residues in products. Areas of the rock lobster fishery have already been closed because of the risk to their market caused by the antibiotic use of salmon companies.
The Liberals rushed to support the federal florfenicol registration process without thinking about the impacts on local fisheries. They are continuing to prioritise the interests of international salmon farming companies over local abalone and rock lobster fishers.
In Chile, the salmon industry’s antibiotic use has smashed their wild fisheries. The Liberal Government is walking Tasmania – our local fisheries and the marine environment – down the same fateful path.
Premier Rockliff needs to take control and regulate the salmon industry to destock diseased salmon from pens. Allowing the continuing dumping of tonnes of florfenicol into public waterways is a terrible outcome for Tasmanians.
