Fish Virus Ruling Challenged
Submitted by SARFAC Friday, 4th August 2003
Reference : http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6854303%255E2682,00.html

IMPORTED Californian feedfish declared safe by Australian authorities and used in Port Lincoln tuna farms have a history of infecting North American fish with a devastating virus, industry groups say.

Biosecurity Australia has moved to lift quarantine measures on imported frozen Californian pilchards and mackerel, saying the fish are a "very low risk" of spreading Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia virus.

South Australian Pilchard Association president Norm Craig queried whether Australia's interim quarantine should be lifted given the virus outbreaks in North America.

"Californian stocks go north in to Canada and the virus hits them and they die in mass proportions," Mr Craig said. "Our fear is these Californian stocks may start travelling back south and they are taken up by the fisherman there, frozen and sent back to Australia."

The Californian imports comprise about half Port Lincoln's feedfish quota used to fatten bluefin tuna. Biosecurity's quarantine measures were placed on the fish in 2002 after a virus outbreak.

Pilchard Fisherman's Association consultant Peter Blacker was concerned about the inadequate inspection of Californian feedfish, even during the recent interim quarantine period. "We don't want it to get to Australia," Mr Blacker said.

The VHS virus was known to have infected 23 species of finfish in North America and there have been more outbreaks in Canada, Mr Blacker said. "We are not satisfied the quarantine measures are adequate.

"More often that not these fish arrive in Australian waters with no inspection at all. "The potential for devastation is enormous."

Biosecurity Australia's June report says no future additional measures were needed to screen the US feedfish imports provided "the fish are wild-caught and free of visible lesions".

In the mid 1990s hundreds of thousands of pilchards died in SA waters and the cause was never confirmed.