Huon Aquaculture has begun antibiotic treatment at two pens in its Storm Bay lease after detecting a bacterial infection in some of its salmon.
The company announced today it is treating fish affected by Piscirickettsia salmonis, following veterinary approval.
This latest intervention comes after a recent outbreak of the same disease at pens in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, which led to the loss of more than one million fish.
“As farmers, the health of our fish is our top priority. Just like humans, pets and other farm animals, fish occasionally require medication,” Huon Aquaculture said in a statement.
“Huon salmon remains safe to eat. There are mandated timeframes between treating fish with antibiotics and harvesting those fish, which means there is no trace of antibiotic when the fish harvested.”
The treatment is delivered through medicated feed rather than released directly into the water.
Huon says it is using “world-leading technology” to monitor the process and ensure accurate dosing.
Environmental monitoring around the pens, including checks on wild fish, will also be carried out, as required by Tasmania’s Environmental Protection Authority.
Storm Bay spans the stretch of water from Bruny Island to South Arm and the Tasman Peninsula.
The area drew attention over the weekend, when hundreds of anti-salmon locals gathered in Nubeena, calling on voters to consider the future of the industry ahead of the upcoming federal election.
