Tasmania shuts cray grounds after salmon giant Tassal's antibiotic use

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is closing two commercial fishing areas from Sunday until February 14. In parts of the Southern Channel 'therapeutic management area', commercial taking of rock lobster and the setting of rock lobster pots are banned. In the Northern Channel TMA, commercial divers cannot take short-spined sea urchins, long-spined sea urchins or periwinkles.

The closures follow 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. They fall under the state government's Aquaculture Therapeutant — Wild Fisheries Market Access Management Plan, released last month, which temporarily shuts wild fisheries near salmon pens treated with antibiotics. The aim is protecting export markets, since some countries have zero tolerance for antibiotics in wild-caught fish.

Kodey Rolston, a deckhand on a cray fishing boat, called the impact on smaller wild fishers 'completely unfair'. He said he backs the salmon industry — 'they provide a lot of jobs all around the state' — but argues the closed area is 'vital to the crayfishing industry'. 'Down south is our safe haven for abalones, for crayfish,' he said, describing a multi-generational fishing ground being locked off while salmon farms 'dump as much antibiotics in the water as they can'.

Tassal said the rock lobster closure accounts for 1.6 per cent of the state's historical rock lobster catch. Tasmanian Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said the government was expecting the wild-caught fishing industry to 'do all the heavy lifting' and that wild fishers had been sidelined in favour of big salmon companies. She said the government had refused to put in place any regulations to constrain salmon farming operations in the Channel.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said it was important 'we get the balance right'. He said the industry is in a 'very quick transition' on antibiotic use, with investment in breeding meaning less reliance on antibiotics in future years, if at all. 'I feel for industry outside of the salmon industry very much,' he said.

In a statement yesterday, Tassal called the closure a 'precaution to protect export market access' and said Public Health had confirmed swimming and recreational fishing remain completely safe. The company said it recognises the consequences for affected commercial rock lobster fishers and is working with the wild fisheries sector on appropriate support, with monitoring underway to support reopening as soon as possible. Tassal has been administering OTC by injection rather than orally through medicated food.