Abalone Disease

[mrmoshe]

Not that it impacts on us day to day fisherpersons, but it seems the abalone industry

is sticken with another potentially disaterous disease.

Where will it all end...?

From The Australia just now.

Fishermen banned to protect abalone.

August 12, 2006 03:14pm

VICTORIAN abalone fishermen will be banned from some Tasmanian waters as the state closes its borders to stop the spread of a debilitating, herpes-like disease.

Ganglioneuritis, which spreads through abalone mucous, is killing off abalone in south-west Victoria.

From next week, the waters around Tasmania's Kent and Hogan group of Islands in Bass Strait will be closed to Victoria's fishing fleet to lessen the chance of ganglioneuritis spreading.

The closure is expected to reduce Tasmania's fisheries catch by about 20 tonnes, worth nearly $1 million or one per cent of the state's abalone industry.

Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water general manager Wes Ford said ganglioneuritis had the potential to cost the Tasmanian abalone industry $10 million a year.

"We're doing what we can to stop the human activity being a vector for the disease," Mr Ford said.

Victorian fisherman will be allowed to hunt for abalone in waters around Flinders Island and northern Tasmania but must be able prove their vessels and equipment have been sterilised, Mr Ford said.

Earlier this month the Victorian government said ganglioneuritis had moved outside a no-dive control zone put in place to try to contain it.

Already, four on-shore abalone farms in Victoria have been infected with the disease and stand to lose millions of dollars.

Victorian agriculture minister Bob Cameron and fisheries officers have been meeting with abalone industry representatives to address the issue.

The Abalone Council of Tasmania has renewed calls for a review of abalone farms and wants wants abalone farm and processors' effluent handling examined.

[Bashir]

not good. What will I use for drummer bait?