Today in Parliament the Liberal government admitted it is working “hand in glove” with salmon corporations. Hardly news, but it’s good to have recorded on Hansard.
Despite saying multiple times the salmon industry is ‘on notice’, Premier Rockliff today also refused to immediately halt to industry expansion or the intensification of farming within existing leases.
The Premier promised a “pause” after commencement of a salmon industry “study”, but the promised study is not likely to start for months. Meanwhile, local communities have reported salmon companies adding pens to existing leases and increasing fish stocks.
Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce also confirmed the government’s application to the APVMA for an ‘emergency’ permit to use controversial antibiotic, Florfenicol, will be as a “preventative” measure to manage salmon disease outbreaks.
Federal regulatory guidelines only allow issuing of an emergency permit for a new antibiotic if there is a “genuine emergency” under way. Crossbenchers were told at their recent briefing no emergency outbreak was occurring.
Applying for an emergency permit is clearly designed to prevent the normal assessment processes for unregulated antibiotics, that should properly consider risks to native fish and other aquatic life. This is an abuse of federal guidelines, during the Caretaker period after months of back room conversations.
According to European regulators, Florfenicol is expected to be harmful to the aquatic environment. It’s a powerful antibiotic that increases antimicrobial resistance.
Florfenicol’s impacts on our native fish are untested, and a rigorous scientific assessment needs to determine the risks.
A repeat of last summer’s mass mortality event with tonnes of dead salmon, or worse the catastrophe that’s occurring in South Australia must be prevented. The Liberals must order salmon companies to destock all pens with diseased fish Instead of dumping untested antibiotics into our waterways.
