Ms ROSOL – I want to ask a question that’s been raised with me by a number of medical professionals and it’s a public health question. It’s to do with antibiotic resistance. We know that globally antibiotic resistance is a public health challenge, and antibiotic usage in food production increases that risk substantially. With the use of florfenicol now in the salmon farms in Tasmanian waters, my understanding is that there is the potential there for antibiotic resistance to increase. The florfenicol goes into the fish. There’s been research that’s shown that Tasmanian farmed salmon bought from Melbourne supermarkets have antibiotic resistant bacteria in them. That’s been found in research by Monash University and when humans then eat that fish, the antibiotic resistance genes can pass into human pathogens and that can be part of increased antibiotic resistance happening. Did Public Health provide advice on the potential impact of florfenicol use and antibiotic resistance?
Mrs ARCHER – The Environment Protection Authority is responsible for the monitoring of antibiotic residues in the environment and ensuring that the use of antibiotics in finfish farming doesn’t cause environmental harm. Then the Department of Natural Resources Tasmania overseas the regulatory requirements relevant to the use of antibiotics to treat fish and the controls in place to ensure that treated fish comply with antibiotic residue limits which are prescribed in the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Questions about commercial seafood safety or management of antibiotic residues are obviously a matter for the Department of Natural Resources Environment Tasmania.
You talk about the existence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in fish for sale and I think that goes to a part of the issue of why florfenicol has been approved for use –
Ms ROSOL – What about the pathogens, though? It’s about the the genetic resistance to antibiotics in the pathogen. I understand it’s not the residue that’s the issue, it’s the potential for antibiotic resistance to develop because of the genetic changes that are happening in bacteria. Has Public Health offered advice on this?
Mrs ARCHER – The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority has approved the use of florfenicol for the treatment of P. salmonis and salmon producers have subsequently commenced treating the fish. The Department of Public Health advice on relation to the public health risks does sit within the role of Public Health in the Department of Health, and there is ,like there is with antibiotic treatment in any veterinary way or in line with primary production regulations. There are withholding periods for human consumption.
In relation, I do want to provide some specific information about antibiotic resistance. I mean, antibiotic resistant germs are a –
Ms ROSOL – Big problem.
Mrs ARCHER – Yeah, and they’re a big problem like right across –
Ms ROSOL – Yeah, globally
Mrs ARCHER – contemporary health problem. They should be used when necessary and when there is a clear medical or veterinary reason. There is a shared responsibility, I think, to use antibiotics appropriately. Obviously, the ongoing monitoring of those things informs future Public Health advice as well. But those decisions are taken, as it says, when it is considered necessary. I think in this case it has been considered necessary to avoid the mass mortality events that we have seen in the past. Do you want to add to –
Mr WEBSTER – Through you, minister. In relation to the specific Public Health provider advice, yes, we did, and that advice was actually published through a media release –
Ms ROSOL – That was around residues though, this is about the antibiotic resistance potential.
Mr WEBSTER – Then as part of that release in the additional information for that a number of documents are referenced including the national strategy on antimicrobial resistance and what needs to be done under that. It wasn’t just the media release, but there were a number of attachments to that media release that came further information and background and referenced other documents.
Ms ROSOL – Thank you.
