Motion - Florfenicol use in Tasmania

Tuesday 24 March 2026

Florfenicol Use in Tasmania

[12.37 p.m.]

Ms O'CONNOR (Hobart) - Mr President, I move -

That the Legislative Council:

(1)          Notes evidence presented to parliament during the Budget Estimates process confirming more than 800 kilograms of the antibiotic, florfenicol, was used by salmon companies in south‑east waters in just three weeks following its recent federal approval for use in Tasmania.

(2)          Notes that data about the quantity of antibiotics used by salmon corporations is not made public as a matter of course, and the fact that 815 kilograms of florfenicol was used in Tasmanian fish farms in such a short period of time is only known to the public due to parliamentary scrutiny.

(3)          Further notes the ongoing use of florfenicol in south‑east waters has led to public health advice to swimmers and recreational fishers, and the temporary closure of the rock lobster fishery.

(4)          Notes an application has been made by Tassal to use florfenicol at Okehampton Bay, in the rich recreational and fishing waters of the Mercury Passage.

(5)          Agrees that the use of florfenicol and other increasingly strong antibiotics is a matter of significant public interest and concern.

(6)          Understands there is little available science to support such intensive, widespread use of florfenicol and limited to no understanding of its residual properties and impact on marine ecology.

(7)          Accepts the evidence that antibiotic resistance is a significant global public health threat and that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and plants is the major driver of antimicrobial resistance.

(8)          Agrees the long-term use of antibiotics by industrial salmon farms is not supported by science or sustainable for marine ecologies.

(9)          Calls on the government to establish a publicly accessible portal detailing in real-time where, when, and in what quantities antibiotics are being used in Tasmanian fish farms so the public, recreational and other commercial fishers can make safe, informed decisions.

[5.05 p.m.]

Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Thank you, Mr President. I wasn't going to speak on this motion, but there's been so much discussion, and I've been a little confused both ways as to whether I'd support it or not. I've never actually learnt so much in such a short time, from both listening and reading and plus AI.

Mr Vincent - I haven't heard the word florfenicol so many times.

Ms ARMITAGE - I'm not going to say the first word. I'm going to P. salmonis, as opposed to trying to get around that word.

I would like to start by saying I actually have no problem either with farmed salmon and I do support the salmon industry.

I understand the issues as to do with florfenicol being a broad-spectrum antibiotic used extensively in veterinary medicine, particularly in aquaculture, swine and poultry.

One of the issues I often say when you're using a lot of antibiotics is the fact we hear from doctors, and having worked in the medical industry for a while, I have a lot of friends that are doctors that used to say one of the real issues is the more you use antibiotics, obviously the bigger problem you actually have when you come to bacteria. The more that's out there, the harder it is to treat different bacteria and the more resistant they become. That is an issue that I certainly agree with.

As it was saying the key worldwide problems with florfenicol and resistance, increased florfenicol use has led to the proliferation of bacteria that can resist this antibiotic. That's an issue we have with lots of antibiotics.

It's been mentioned earlier when people go to doctors, the more they actually give it out, the harder it is to actually get better, often when you take antibiotics. I suppose the same can be said for painkillers. Many people take far too many painkillers and when they take them, they no longer work. Our bodies become resistant.

Looking at item 9, a couple of issues that I have a bit of a problem with, and I sort of struggle with is No. 6 - Understand there's little available science to support such intensive widespread use of florfenicol and limited to no understanding of its residual properties and impact on marine ecology.

Not entirely sure I can actually support that because my understanding is that science is changing all the time and obviously it's being looked at. Seven accept the evidence. Well, do I accept the evidence? These are the problems that I have that if I support, then I have to say that I accept the evidence. Do I? I'm not really sure when I look at it and I've been Googling and looking at AI, and at a variety of different issues to do with florfenicol. It's difficult to say that word, let alone the P. salmonis.

I guess one of the things I note with this is that obviously effective from 4 March, the APVMA suspended the permit for the use of florfenicol and that it can't be used under the provisions of the permit, currently.

I also noted the regulator notice the antibiotic treatment administration of florfenicol, where it says in the event that fish and marine farms should require florfenicol treatment, companies must advise the Environmental Protection Authority, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania and Biosecurity Tasmania before the treatment is applied. The EPA is responsible for ensuring monitoring of antibiotic residues in the environment is undertaken and to ensure that the use of antibiotics in finfish farming does not cause the environmental harm.

NRE Tasmania is responsible for administering the biosecurity programme, Tasmanian Salmonoid Industry. It's also responsible for administering the Tasmanian Primary Produce Safety Act 2011 and the Primary Produce Safety Seafood Regulations 2023, which apply food safety standards and controls to the primary production and processing of seafood.

I was pleased to hear the explanation by the Leader, and I thought it did clear some points up. It certainly made me feel a little more comfortable with what was being undertaken by the EPA and NRE with regards to florfenicol and the compliance audit schedule.

I certainly appreciate the member for Hobart bringing this forward though, because as I said, I've learnt more in this last couple of hours that I actually knew about florfenicol and certainly there's some information out there.

There are some of these items that I do support. Some of the numbers, you know, 1, 2, 3, certainly there's certain ones there that I support. I note the application's been made by Tassal to use florfenicol at Okehampton Bay, in what's considered the rich recreational and fishing waters of the Mercury Passage.

I also noted in November 2025, obviously, there was a residue found in shellfish. There's a lot of information and certainly a lot of discussion and it's really great we've actually had the discussion here today.

As I said, I was struggling as to whether I would support or wouldn't support, but having listened to all the contributions and the contribution from the Leader, plus reading the wealth of information that I have found on the internet with regard to it - including AI, which was quite informative - I know that you can't always believe AI.

Ms O'Connor - You can't. They make stuff up.

Ms ARMITAGE - They certainly do, but in this case, they actually support you, member for Hobart, so probably you might not say they made it up this time.

Ms O'Connor - Well, they don't always make stuff up.

Ms ARMITAGE - I would be very careful with using it. It does go along with some of the other information that's been provided. As I said, I only have a short contribution. I appreciate that this has been brought up by the member for Hobart, because it puts more of a clear eye on it. I'm sure people would now have much more of a look at the situation and transparency. I do have concerns about the use of too much antibiotic in the community, per se, without just florfenicol. On this occasion, I'm not going to say whether I support it or not. I will listen to the member for Hobart closing and I note the motion.