More than five tonnes of antibiotics used on Tasmania's farmed salmon

More than five tonnes of antibiotics were used on salmon farms in the Australian state of Tasmania last summer, it has been confirmed. According to industry body Salmon Tasmania, the antibiotics were used to treat a disease that killed 9,000 tonnes of fish.

The disclosed figure has renewed concerns about antibiotic use in aquaculture. Environmental groups and some experts have pointed to the possible effects of heavy antibiotic use on marine ecosystems and on antibiotic resistance.

Industry representatives argue that the antibiotics were used under supervision and only when made necessary by disease. The debate has increased calls for greater regulation and transparency in the sector. Authorities are expected to review existing rules on the use of medicines in aquaculture production, as scrutiny of the fast-growing industry intensifies.