A commercial fisher says the impact of salmon companies’ antibiotic use in Tasmania is “completely unfair” on smaller, wild fishers.
Kodey Rolston, who works as a deckhand on a cray fishing boat, said while he was a supporter of the salmon industry, “fishermen are being impacted so deeply by what salmon farming has done”.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) is closing two commercial fishing areas from Sunday until February 14.
The commercial taking of rock lobster and the setting of rock lobster pots will not be allowed within parts of the Southern Channel “therapeutic management area” (TMA).
Commercial divers will not be allowed to take short-spined sea urchins, long-spined sea urchins and periwinkles in the Northern Channel TMA.
Under the state government’s Aquaculture Therapeutant — Wild Fisheries Market Access Management Plan, released last month, wild fisheries near salmon pens treated with antibiotics get temporarily closed.
The closures are to protect export markets as some countries have zero tolerance for antibiotics in wild-caught fish.
The two 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.
The company said the closure accounted for 1.6 per cent of the state’s historical rock lobster catch.
A map showing the areas of the rock lobster fishery that will be closed from Sunday. (ABC News: Hamed Akrami)
But Mr Rolston said the closure area was “vital to the crayfishing industry”.
“Down south is our safe haven for abalones, for crayfish.
“It’s a multi, multi-generational fishing ground and it’s being locked off all together because the salmon farms want to just dump as much antibiotics in the water as they can to try and save their own arse and not cooperate with other businesses,” he said.
“I actually don’t have anything against the salmon farms.
“In all honesty, I’m very much for them — they provide a lot of jobs all around the state.
“But when it starts interring with small fisheries, small businesses, and it’s just one or two businesses ruining it for everyone else, it’s completely unfair.”
Tassal says the rock lobster fishery closure accounts for 1.6 per cent of Tasmania’s annual rock lobster catch. (ABC News: Bec Pridham)
Tasmanian Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said the government was expecting the wild-caught fishing industry to “do all the heavy lifting”.
“Wild fishers have been sidelined and the interests of big salmon companies have been put first by the government,” Ms Woodruff said.
“They’ve refused to put in place any regulations to constrain the operations of salmon farming in the Channel.”
‘Important that all industries work together’: Premier
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said it was important “we get the balance right”.
“We value our wild fishery, we value our aquaculture industry and it’s important that all sea industries coexist and coexist amongst the best balanced approach, which we are trying to achieve here,”
Mr Rockliff said.
“The industry is in a transition and a very quick transition in terms of antibiotic use because of the investment that’s going into breeding, for example, will mean that in future years there’ll be less reliance on antibiotics if at all, and that’s the space we need to get to.
“We’re in a transition time now and I know it’s difficult … I feel for industry outside of the salmon industry very much.
“It’s important that all industries work together, we get the balance right.”
In a statement yesterday, Tassal said the closure was a “precaution to protect export market access”.
“Public Health has confirmed swimming and recreational fishing remain completely safe.
“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.”
Tassal has been administering OTC by injection, rather than orally through medicated food.
