Commercial rock lobster and dive fisheries in parts of Tasmania's south-east will be closed for three months from Sunday to mitigate trade risks linked to antibiotic use by the salmon industry, NRE notices say. The closures, effective until mid-February, are tied to salmon producer Tassal's use of the antibiotic oxytetracycline at its farms in the lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) issued two notices declaring closed zones within the Southern Channel and Northern Channel Therapeutic Management Areas (TMAs). Commercial rock lobster fishing and pot-setting is banned in parts of the Southern Channel TMA, while commercial divers are prohibited from taking sea urchins and periwinkles in the Northern Channel TMA.
The closures follow NRE's release last month of its Wild Fisheries Market Access Plan, ahead of planned antibiotic use 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 are temporarily closed to avoid the risk of antibiotic detections in wild seafood that could trigger export bans by countries with zero tolerance for antibiotic residues.
A Tassal spokesperson said the closure was 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." The company has been administering oxytetracycline by injection rather than medicated feed. The spokesperson added that the Department of Health had confirmed swimming and recreational fishing remained safe, and that Tassal was "working with the wild fisheries sector on appropriate support, with monitoring underway to support reopening as soon as possible."
Franklin independent MP Peter George said he was shocked by the closure. "I am hearing from outraged fishers appalled at the closure and its impact on their livelihoods — and expressing concern about transiting through or anchoring in these waters when they're using seawater to keep their catch alive," he said. Mr George said there was "no question that the multinational salmon industry's interests trample over those of Tasmania's wild fishers."
An NRE spokesperson said the closure 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."
Separately, the industry body Salmon Tasmania has applied for an emergency permit to use a different antibiotic, florfenicol, to treat the bacterial disease. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is seeking public submissions, with a decision likely this month. An emergency permit for florfenicol was granted late last year but revoked in March after the antibiotic was detected in wild seafood more than 10 kilometres away.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Livelihoods at stake: Commercial fishers in the affected areas face three months without income from rock lobster and urchin harvesting, with no guarantee of compensation beyond industry promises of support.
- Trade exposure: The precautionary closures highlight how antibiotic use in aquaculture can threaten Australia's reputation for clean wild seafood, risking export markets that have zero tolerance for residues.
- Precedent for future permits: The outcome of the florfenicol emergency application will set a precedent for how Tasmania balances the salmon industry's disease problems with the integrity of its wild fisheries.
Background
Tasmania's salmon industry has been hit hard by a bacterial disease that caused mass fish deaths in the past two summers. To combat the disease, producers have sought emergency permits for antibiotics such as oxytetracycline and florfenicol. However, the detection of florfenicol in wild seafood beyond the permitted zone led to the revocation of an earlier emergency permit in March. The Wild Fisheries Market Access Plan was introduced to manage the trade risk, with temporary closures of fishing grounds near treated pens.
Key Perspectives
- Tassal: Says the closure is a precautionary measure to protect export access and poses no risk to public health. The company is working with wild fishers on support and monitoring for a prompt reopening.
- Franklin MP Peter George: Describes the closure as an outrage, accusing the multinational salmon industry of trampling over the interests of wild fishers who now face lost livelihoods and restricted access to traditional fishing grounds.
- NRE: Emphasises the closure is not a food safety concern but a market access precaution aligned with the management plan.
What to Watch
- The APVMA's decision on the emergency permit for florfenicol, expected this month, which could be contested by wild fishery interests.
- Monitoring results from the closed zones to see if antibiotic residues appear in wild stock, affecting the duration of the closure.
- Any further expansion of antibiotic use or closures as the salmon industry's bacterial disease persists.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe headline presents commercial rock lobster fisheries as already closed, although the closure was due to start on Sunday, November 15.Just In: “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.”
- SupportedThe closures were to last three months from Sunday to mitigate trade risks linked to antibiotic use by the salmon industry.Just In: “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.”
- SupportedThe closures are linked to Tassal's use of oxytetracycline at farms in the lower D'Entrecasteaux Channel.Just In: “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.”
- Partly supportedCommercial divers are prohibited from taking sea urchins and periwinkles in the Northern Channel TMA.Just In: “Commercial divers will not be allowed to take short-spined sea urchins, long-spined sea urchins and periwinkles in the Northern Channel TMA.”
- SupportedThe Tassal spokesperson said the closure was 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.Just In: “"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.”
- Partly supportedThe spokesperson said the Department of Health had confirmed swimming and recreational fishing remained safe.Just In: “When it first started using the antibiotic last month, the Department of Health said it posed no risk to the public. "Public Health has confirmed swimming and recreational fishing remain completely safe," the Tassal spokesperson said.”
- SupportedThe Tassal spokesperson said the company was working with the wild fisheries sector on support and monitoring to support reopening as soon as possible.Just In: “"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."”
- SupportedPeter George said he was hearing from outraged fishers concerned about the closure's impact on their livelihoods and about transiting or anchoring in the waters while using seawater to keep their catch alive.Just In: “"I am hearing from outraged fishers appalled at the closure and its impact on their livelihoods — and expressing concern about transiting through or anchoring in these waters when they're using seawater to keep their catch alive," he said.”
- SupportedPeter George said there was no question that the multinational salmon industry's interests trample over those of Tasmania's wild fishers.Just In: “"There's now no question that the multinational salmon industry's interests trample over those of Tasmania's wild fishers", he added.”
- SupportedNRE described the closure as precautionary, intended to protect market access and unrelated to food safety concerns.Just In: “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".”
- SupportedThe plan followed mass deaths in salmon farms over the past two summers from a bacterial disease, and provides for temporary closures near salmon pens treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of export bans.Just In: “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.”
- SupportedSalmon Tasmania applied for an emergency florfenicol permit; a previous permit was revoked in March after florfenicol was detected in wild seafood more than 10 kilometres away.Just In: “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.”