July 5, 2007

Australian fish farms see sharp increase in antibiotic use

Authorities in Tasmania, a state of Australia, are now concerned with the increasing use of antibiotics in the region's fish farms.

Ten years ago, antibiotic usage in the entire state's fish farms was only 12 kilogrammes. This year, the figure for the first three months alone was 8 tonnes. 
 
The industry insists on continued access to antibiotic treatments, mainly to treat marine Aeromonas and salmon ricketssia.
 
While treated salmon are allowed time for the antibiotics to be expelled before being harvested, there are concerns that wild fish consuming such feed and escaped salmon could pose a health threat to humans.
 
There's also the issue that one of the antibiotic used- amoxicillin - is also used for human treatment, thus increasing resistance of any such disease in humans.
 
The use of antibiotics the country's salmon farms are rising as more diseases occur in crowded sea pens, according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald.