On Tuesday, Huon Aquaculture told ABC Mornings<\/a> it deployed antibiotics as a “last line of defence” after an increase in mortality at the hatchery.<\/p>\n The issue was caused by an intestinal infection, rather than the bacterial disease that led to a mass die-off event in coastal waterways in the state’s south-east last summer.<\/p>\n “Back in mid-January, we saw a spike in water temperature,” the company’s general manager of aquaculture, Depha Miedecke, said.<\/p>\n “Things got quite warm and subsequently we saw an increase in mortality and this was caused by intestinal bacterial infection that can sometimes affect salmon and other fish.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ms Miedecke said the medication was given to two cohorts of fish over a 20-day period under veterinary advice.<\/p>\n The Meadowbank hatchery is about 20 kilometres upstream from TasWater’s Bryn Estyn water treatment plant, which is the primary source of drinking water for Greater Hobart.<\/p>\n The township of New Norfolk is several kilometres further along the River Derwent.<\/p>\n The antibiotics were used about 40 kilometres upstream from the Bryn Estyn water treatment plant. (ABC News: Tony King)<\/p>\n While downstream users were not notified, Ms Miedecke said the company chose to be “proactive” and “transparent” by making a voluntary disclosure to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).<\/p>\n “The use of antibiotics in freshwater is very rare, so it’s certainly not something we do regularly at all,” she said.<\/p>\n “We, in this case, decided to voluntarily speak with the EPA about it.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In a statement, the EPA said antibiotic residue monitoring had been put in place following the disclosure.<\/p>\n “The use of antibiotics at Meadowbank Hatchery was self-reported by Huon Aquaculture, noting there is no current regulatory requirement to do so,” the statement reads.<\/p>\n “Accordingly, the EPA has put appropriate environmental conditions in place, including antibiotic residue monitoring at Meadowbank Hatchery.<\/p>\n “These regulatory requirements will apply across all freshwater hatcheries across the state, strengthening the EPA’s regulatory framework.<\/p>\n “Consistent with EPA practice, monitoring results will be published on the EPA website.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n MLC criticises ‘murky lack of transparency’<\/p>\n Oxytetracycline is commonly used to treat diseases in agricultural and aquacultural settings, as well as for human health.<\/p>\n The World Health Organisation has categorised it as a “highly important antimicrobial”.<\/a><\/p>\n But the WHO also notes that “antimicrobial resistance”, caused by their “misuse and overuse”, is “one of the top global public health and development threats”<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meg Webb says there is a “murky lack of transparency” surrounding the use of antibiotics in salmon farms. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)<\/p>\n Independent upper house member Meg Webb said the public should not have to rely on voluntary disclosures from salmon companies about the use of antibiotics in freshwater.<\/p>\n ‘Full investigation’ launched after live salmon put into bins<\/a><\/p>\n Tasmanian salmon producer Huon Aquaculture launches a “full investigation” after video taken at one of its fish farms showed live salmon being siphoned out of a pen and sealed in tubs with piles of dead fish.<\/p>\n “We’ve got here a really unfortunate murky lack of transparency,” she told ABC Mornings.<\/p>\n “This is why we need full transparency about this.<\/p>\n “We need to have people who are experts looking at this, we need the community to know that full information is being provided and assessed.<\/p>\n “And that’s really part of building public confidence and a social licence for this industry.”<\/p>\n ‘Real-time updates’ in place for florfenicol<\/p>\n Oxytetracycline was used during the mass mortality event in coastal salmon pens early last year, but Huon Aquaculture had complained it had been “largely ineffective”.<\/p>\n![\"Bryn](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/5820298c287d83a7dc8bf64e95b4d2aa.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/b111cb23bd50aa689683a9b1f7c68f42.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Atlantic](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/cf77509785d77fb4c5c56b4481244d02.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Premier](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/82fdec10c0825a530326018c9f7289c6.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n