
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has revoked the emergency permit allowing florfenicol to be used in Tasmanian salmon farming. The decision follows residue detections in marine species outside farming areas and concerns about potential trade risks for Australia’s wild fisheries and seafood export markets.

New testing has detected traces of florfenicol in wild marine species more than 10 kilometres from salmon farms, prompting the APVMA to issue a show cause notice on the emergency permit. The findings raise fresh questions about containment, monitoring, and the use of antibiotics in open marine systems, with potential implications for wild fisheries, export…

Florfenicol is a veterinary antibiotic belonging to the phenicol family, related to chloramphenicol and thiamphenicol but developed exclusively for animal use. It was designed to deliver broad-spectrum antibacterial protection while avoiding the toxic effects that limited its older relatives. Chemically, it’s a fluorinated analogue of thiamphenicol — a small change that makes it more stable…