AMA Tasmania has sent a statement to all MPs, outlining their strong concerns about public health risks coming from salmon farming companies’ use of antibiotics. The Premier’s failure to even go near the AMA’s concerns about such a serious public health matter, in response to Greens’ questions in Parliament, is very concerning.
The AMA Statement outlines the science showing antibiotics spread widely in the marine environment, and can contribute to multi-drug resistant organisms in humans. They stated the use of florfenicol without full baseline assessment and monitoring “carries demonstrable health and environmental risks”.
The massive use of 5.3 tonnes of florfenicol, in these circumstances, is exactly what the Rockliff Government supported last summer. The AMA’s Statement is a vindication for independent scientists, the community and the Greens who have been raising the risks of mass aquaculture antibiotic use on human health from the beginning.
The AMA recommended actions including no emergency antibiotic use, mandatory timely disclosures, and requiring companies to reduce stocking densities. We asked the Premier in Question Time whether he’d acknowledge the health risk of antibiotic use in salmon farming, and adopt all the AMA’s recommendations.
Premier Rockliff failed to address the AMA Statement, let alone their recommendations. Given the huge community concern about antibiotic resistance, and the significance of the Australian Medical Association making a statement about this issue, the Premier’s silence is staggering.
It’s the clearest demonstration yet that the Liberal Government is in the pocket of the salmon industry and is incapable of responding on this serious health risk issue. The only evidence-based response is to adopt the AMA’s recommendations in full, and immediately.
Given the clear evidence that antibiotic use in open pen salmon farms presents a risk of microbial resistance and public health, the Premier cannot continue to support the use of florfenicol by salmon companies.
