Seafood News - Industry Events - Seafood Market

Country NewsAustralian News    27/11/2004 08:36:58

The Victorian yabby industry could be undermined by NSW and South Australia which are exempt from the same legislative requirements said a Victorian grower.

Little Nippa Yabbies' Christine Milton said Victorian restaurants were able to purchase live yabbies harvested interstate, with no regard to this states's regulations.

There was also the potential for Victorian yabbies sold to NSW farmers to be sold back as yabbies for human consumption to Victoria.

Mrs Milton's farm had stopped selling yabbies live for human consumption on July 1 when new Primesafe regulations came in.

"The South Australia, Western Australian and Queensland industries and NSW and South Australian `yabby imports' are obviously prospering, along with the black market crops that will take over the market now," Mrs Milton said.

The industry is also concerned about new Victorian Government fees to breed, grow, hold or sell yabbies, which Mrs Milton said would rise from $265 currently to $1338 at October 31, 2006.

"The levies have not returned any financial gain directly or indirectly to our yabby business over the entire time we have been licensed."

Mrs Milton said she considered the new legislation hypocritical as other forms of aquaculture were given exemption from the legislation.

"It becomes quiet unpleasant when Bob Cameron and Primesafe ignore the fact that live fish and eels for human consumption are exempt from Primesafe regulations," Mrs Milton said.

"You can catch your own fish or eel and transport it live from the fish or eel farm and the farmer doesn't need to be regulated, but you cannot purchase a live yabby from a yabby farm unless the farmer is regulated," she said.