A processing plant in the State’s south is being carefully monitored and subject to some abalone movement restrictions following the discovery on its premises of abalone showing signs consistent with the disease Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG).

Tasmania’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Rod Andrewartha, said that examination of the abalone tissue showed signs consistent with AVG. Further work is being undertaken to confirm the diagnosis.

This investigation was triggered by the processor reporting suspect signs in abalone as part of Tasmania’s abalone disease surveillance program.

AVG is a potentially serious disease of abalone, with very high mortality rates observed in some areas. AVG does not affect humans.

Tasmania’s wild abalone fishery is the biggest in the world, with around 25% of the world annual harvest. It also supports a very active recreational fishery, involving around 12,500 people.

AVG has been spreading slowly through waters off the Victorian coast and the Tasmanian government has put a range of measures in place to minimise the risk of this disease reaching our wild abalone fisheries.

Samples of the diseased tissue have been sent from Tasmania to the Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong for further analysis.

Dr Andrewartha said that the big concern currently was whether the disease is present in any of the State’s wild fisheries.

“ Our current activities are aimed at trying to determine the location and extent of any disease in the wild so we can develop appropriate control measures.

“So far we only have histological evidence of disease in two abalone and despite intensive monitoring over recent months we have seen no signs of the disease in the wild.

“We have begun traceback of the abalone at the processing plant to determine the point of origin. The processing plant and the various people who have supplied fish to that plant recently are co-operating fully in this.

“Using this information, we are targeting our surveillance and sampling from the wild fisheries to see if there any signs of this disease out there. Samples have already been taken today by divers from the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute from an area of interest with no obvious signs of disease observed. “

A special website -www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/abalonedisease - will provide regular updates on the investigation.

People associated with either commercial or recreational abalone fishing are urged to check it frequently for the latest on the situation.

Source: Tasmanian DPI