The Victorian abalone industry is demanding the ban of human activity such as commercial and recreational fishing, surfing and diving, on the stretches of the state’s west coast after the abalone virus was found there. The Federal Government has admitted there is little they can do to stop the virus and protect the $80 million abalone industry, the state’s most valuable commercial fishery, from devastating and widespread losses.
It is found that the virus is quickly moving towards the east and this has panicked the industry. Now the industry wants a federally enforced quarantine that would see all human water-based activity, including the shutdown of the local rock lobster fishery, banned in the affected area around Port Campbell, the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park and Moonlight Head.
Vin Gannon, the Victorian Abalone Divers Association chief executive officer, told that the Victorian Government, which it says has failed to act. He said that the authorities are putting at risk the Victorian industry and the whole Australian industry. It is said that the herpes-like abalone viral ganglioneuritis is deadly to the shellfish and has wiped $30 million off the industry’s bottom line. The state’s western abalone divers are on the brink of financial ruin, with quotas shrinking from 220 tonnes a year to 16.
Executive director Peter Appleford said the Government had done all it could for the abalone fishers. According to him the authorities had monitored the virus, put biosecurity measures in place — requiring decontamination of equipment — and run public information campaigns. Australia’s chief veterinary officer, Dr Andy Carroll, said the situation was very serious and the Commonwealth would offer any help it could. It would look at any State Government plans, he said, but would not have the legal power to enforce a quarantine in state waters, only help manage one.
