Recreational Fishing Advice - Florfenicol
by Recreational Fishing News 13 Nov 08:26 UTC
Recreational Fishing Advice - Florfenicol © Recreational Fishing News
The responsible Commonwealth Authority (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority) has approved the use of Florfenicol (an antibiotic) for the treatment of Piscirickettsia salmonis (P.salmonis) in farmed salmon through medicated feed in the south-east biosecurity zone.
When and where is treatment occurring?
A live map of treatment locations is available on LIST Map.
For further information on Florfenicol treatments, including regulation and monitoring, visit the EPA website.
The EPA is responsible for ensuring monitoring of antibiotic residues in the environment is undertaken and to ensure that the use of antibiotics in finfish farming does not cause environmental harm.
Is recreational fishing affected?
There is no closure of recreational fishing related to the use of Florfenicol.
The Department of Health has released the following advice relating to Florfenicol and recreational fishing:
- Florfenicol is an antibiotic used in many countries for veterinary medicine, agriculture and aquaculture, including salmon farms.
- When farmed salmon are treated with florfenicol in medicated feed, wild fish nearby may also eat some of this feed.
- There are no reports of adverse human health effects from exposure to traces of florfenicol in meat or fish.
- However, recreational fishers may choose to avoid exposure to antibiotic residues (the traces of florfenicol) in the fish that they catch and eat.
To avoid exposure to antibiotic residues, the Director of Public Health recommends recreational fishers consider not eating fish caught within 3 kilometres of a salmon pen treated with florfenicol - both during the treatment period and for 21 days after it ends.
You can view where treatment is occurring, including the recommended 3km buffer zone on LIST Map.
The Director of Public Health is responsible for providing human health advice on the implications of the use of Florfenicol for wild fish caught recreationally in Tasmania's marine environment.
Read department of health advice here.