Huon Aquaculture has confirmed it will be treating fish at one of its Tasmanian farms with antibiotics.
The decision comes two weeks after the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) announced increased monitoring of the state’s salmon industry.
In late January, the EPA received multiple notifications that mortality rates in salmon pens had exceeded 0.25% for three consecutive days, though the full extent of the deaths has not been made public.
“We are taking the proactive step of letting people know and in doing so we expect to set a new voluntary standard for the Tasmanian salmon farming industry on real time notification when antibiotic treatments occur,” Huon General Manager Depha Miedecke said.
This is a shift in industry practice, as previous antibiotic treatments in southern Tasmania’s salmon farms were often poorly disclosed.
Notices of antibiotic use were either attached to affected pens or buried on websites, according to environmental groups.
Miedecke said that the veterinary-authorised antibiotics will be administered by hand at its Zuidpool lease in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, preventing direct release into the water.
Huon, owned by Brazilian firm JBS, has only used antibiotics twice in the past decade.
Environmental safeguards will be in place and will include monitoring of the surrounding waters and wild fish populations in line with EPA requirements.
The treated fish will not be harvested until they meet mandated food safety guidelines.
The company said a vaccine recently developed by local researchers, which could “significantly benefit future fish stocks”, was not available when the affected fish were moved to sea pens.
“We are proud of the way we farm our salmon at Huon and remain fully committed to ongoing innovation, sustainability and the health of both our fish and the environment,” Miedecke said.
