Salmon farm antibiotic use impact 'completely unfair' cray fisher says

Detailed summary

As small fishers say salmon companies are being favoured over them, Premier Jeremy Rockliff says the government is aiming for the "best balanced approach".

A Tasmanian cray fisher says the wild-caught fishing sector has been "impacted so deeply" by salmon companies' use of antibiotics.

Following salmon company Tassal's use of an antibiotic, two commercial fishing areas are being closed from Sunday until February 14 to protect export markets.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff says it is important "we get the balance right".

A commercial fisher says the impact of salmon companies' antibiotic use in Tasmania is "completely unfair" on smaller, wild fishers.

Kodey Rolston, who works as a deckhand on a cray fishing boat, said while he was a supporter of the salmon industry, "fishermen are being impacted so deeply by what salmon farming has done".

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) is closing two commercial fishing areas from Sunday until February 14.

The commercial taking of rock lobster and the setting of rock lobster pots will not be allowed within parts of the Southern Channel "therapeutic management area" (TMA).

Commercial divers will not be allowed to take short-spined sea urchins, long-spined sea urchins and periwinkles in the Northern Channel TMA.

Under the state government's Aquaculture Therapeutant — Wild Fisheries Market Access Management Plan, released last month, wild fisheries near salmon pens treated with antibiotics get temporarily closed.

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