Prevention tips for abalone industry

AUSTRALIA - INTERNATIONAL abalone disease experts believe south-west Victoria's abalone industry could do more in the future to prevent diseases such as the one which is destroying the region's stocks.

At the request of the Western Abalone Divers' Association, America's Professor Carolyn Friedman and France's Dr Tristan Renault and other interstate experts surveyed the local industry over the past few days.

The team would prepare a report in the next few days with advice for Australian abalone farmers and industry leaders on how to improve abalone health management. Ms Friedman said more regular and specific health assessments and sampling should be done to help identify viruses and diseases and where they come from.

She said bio-security could also be improved, particularly when abalone were transferred between basins.

Source: The Standard