Controls Over The Use of Agricultural & Veterinary Chemicals In The Aquaculture Industry
All users of agricultural and veterinary chemical products need to be aware that they are required to use these chemicals responsibly. That is, to:
- only use registered chemical products that have been approved for the proposed use, and
- use the registered chemical product in accordance with the instructions on the label approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
Other chemical products can only be used if allowed by legislation or if a permit is issued by APVMA.
The APVMA maintains current details about agricultural and veterinary chemical products registered for use in Australia or which may be available for off-label use under a minor-use permit.
There are two main ways of accessing this information:
Online via the PUBCRIS database and the Permits database
Aquaculture Industry
A fact sheet explaining the responsibilities placed on users of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in the aquaculture industry can be obtained by opening the document under Resources below.
Meaning of Terms
In general terms, agricultural chemical products are pesticides (including insecticides, fungicides and herbicides) that are used to control pests in food and fibre crops, aquatic situations and non-agricultural situations (e.g. commercial land, buildings). Any substance used to control pests in these situations would be considered to be an agricultural chemical product.
Veterinary chemical products include any pesticide or medication used on or in animals (including bees, fish and other aquatic species), whether or not applied by a veterinary surgeon. Any substance used to treat animals would be considered to be a veterinary chemical product.
More detailed information can be found here.
AAQ members who grow fish for the table are able to be part of a voluntary food safety plan. Under the plan their product is tested for chemical residue. These tests have made it possible for participating growers to demonstrate the chemical free status of their product. Click here for more information.