Keep calm and carry on fishing - get the facts on new antibiotic florfenicol

Concerned by the recent announcement of new antibiotic florfenicol use by salmon farms and what it means for your fishing?

We’ve put together some information just for recreational fishers - without the spin.

TARFish continues to advocate for timely and transparent release of information and strong, appropriate regulation of finfish farming that protects the health of the waterways.

Recreational fishers have the right to make informed choices and we rely on our regulators to ensure the health of wild fish and their safe consumption by recreational fishers. If fish stocks are impacted in any way that can impact people that eat them, we expect prompt notification and information that is specific to the fish we catch and eat.

The release of information and notification of events is the responsibility of the regulators – the EPA and Public Health and we rely on NRE Tasmania to keep recreational fishers informed.

We’ve brought together the information we have so rec fishers can make their own decision about their fishing.

Is rec fishing closed for 3km’s from a salmon pen being treated with antibiotics?

No.

The advice from the Director of Public Health is:

• There are no reports of adverse human health effects from exposure to traces of florfenicol in fish.

  However

• Recreational fishers may choose to avoid exposure to antibiotic residues (the traces of florfenicol) in the fish that they catch and eat by not fishing within 3km’s of pens being treated.

Recreational fishing is not “banned” or “closed” within 3km’s of salmon pens

(source: Department of Health, Tasmania)

Can I eat recreationally caught fish in the area?

It’s up to you.

As noted earlier, the advice from the Director of Public Health is that there are no report of adverse health effects from exposure to traces of florfenicol in fish but if you are concerned about traces of antibiotic residue, you may choose to catch and release within 3km’s of salmon pens being treated.

The advice from Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) for Oxytetracycline (OTC) - another commonly used antibiotic is:

• A child would need to eat around 55 standard serves (serve = 150g) of sand flathead in a week to reach the Allowable Daily Intake for OTC, adults even more. (source: FSANZ)

Florfenicol is considered to be less toxic or similar to commonly used alternatives such as OTC (sources: Gonçalves Ferreira et al., 2007 and Carraschi et al., 2015) which is why we’ve provided the risk assessment for OTC. There is no current FSANZ risk assessment for Tasmania for florfenicol - it’s one of the issues we are following up on.

Where can I find information on where antibiotics are being used and when treatment starts and stops?

This is more of a challenge. At the moment there is some information on salmon farming websites, some on the EPA website and some on the Department of Health website. We are currently seeking a central webpage for all of this information including a “live” map.

Here are links to the information we have so far:

Health Department advice to recreational fishers

EPA information on Florfenicol

EPA salmon portal that includes information on antibiotic use (but not much)

Tassal (live antibiotic updates)

Huon (live antibiotic updates)

What else is TARFish doing?

We have been in contact with the regulators and are expecting a briefing later in the week. We are actively pursuing:

• A FASANZ risk assessment for florfenicol

• A central webpage with rec fisher advice and “live” map so that all use of antibiotics is shown in one place (including when it commenced, when it will cease and the 21 day withholding

• Specifics of the proposed monitoring program including providing rec fisher input and what information will be made available to rec fishers and when.