Fishers furious as government halts commercial rock lobster fishing season in parts of the state

The commercial rock lobster fishing season has been abruptly called off in parts of the state – a move the government explains as a short-term safeguard for export markets.

The commercial rock lobster fishing season has been abruptly called off in parts of the state. Picture: supplied

The commercial rock lobster fishing season has been abruptly called off in parts of the state – a move the government says is a short-term safeguard for export markets despite concerns over the impact of a newly approved antibiotic.

A public notice from the Department of Natral Resources and Environment was issued on Friday informing that parts of the commercial rock-lobster fishery south of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel was closed from one minute past midnight “until further notice”.

The notice, signed off by NRE Tasmania Marine Resources department general manager David Midson, coincided with the opening of the rock lobster commercial fishing season.

Affected locations include waters off the south-east of Tasmania, commencing at the high-water marks of Scott Point to the northernmost point of Partridge Island, as well as other areas extending to Butlers Beach, Southport Bluff and Roaring Beach.

The notice comes nine days after the antibiotic, florfenicol, controversially received approval for use for the first time in Australia for use on diseased salmon – prompting a health notice from the Department of Health.

Saturday’s public notice informing of the closure did not make any mention of florfenicol.

Recreational fishers were also not implicated by the notice.

Despite this, recreational fisher John Stanfield said it was widely believed among the fishing community the closure was due to the “unknown” impacts of florfenicol.

He said fishers – both commercial and recreational – were “furious” about the “poor” communication and “confused” about the health advice.

“Commercial fishers have gotten basically zero notice about this,” he said.

On florfenicol, he said: “Plenty of people raise concerns about antibiotic use, especially when you’re talking about the quantities that are being used in a single season.

“We’re basically treated like idiots without a say.”

The Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishermen’s Association was contacted for comment.

Florfenicol received fast-tracked approval from the federal government and is said to be a defence against a bacterial disease caused by P. Salmonis, which caused mass salmon mortality deaths earlier this year.

Environment Tasmania campaigner Jess Coughlan said the rock lobster season closure was telling.

“The emergency permit given for florfenicol use clearly didn’t have all the required protocols in place for safety measures if we are now seeing fishery closures,” she said.

“It’s highly inappropriate that one industry is having its needs preference over all other Tasmanian waterway users and livelihoods.”

In a statement to the Mercury, an NRE Tasmania spokesperson said the closure was a “short-term precautionary measure to safeguard industry’s export market access”.

“The commercial rock lobster season reopened on (November 15). Given existing export controls in a number of overseas markets, an area to the south of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel has not been reopened to the commercial rock lobster fishery,” they said.

“Health advice in relation to florfenicol and seafood caught by recreational fishers remains unchanged.

“There is no evidence of adverse human health effects from exposure to traces of florfenicol in meat or fish.”

Originally published as Fishers furious as government halts commercial rock lobster fishing season in parts of the state