Meet the Ministrys new Chief Executive - Ministry of Fisheries

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12 TheBite APRIL 2008 Virus threatens australian abalone Could it threaten New Zealand? The virus killing abalone in Victoria, Australia, has the potential to kill paua if it ever made it to New Zealand. With New Zealand paua being a customary staple, a $50million commercial industry and a snorkeller’s favourite, we all need to be vigilant to ensure this virus never arrives. ThE IMPACT OF ThE VIRUS SO FAR In May 2006 a herpes-like virus was detected for the first time in a subpopulation of wild abalone in Taylors Bay, Victoria, Australia. The virus is known as Abalone Virus Ganglioneuritis (AVG). Since that time the spread of the virus is showing a consistent movement along the coast of Victoria of 5-10km per month. It has most recently been observed infecting black lip and green lip abalone populations along almost 200km of the Victoria Coastline. Surveys have suggested declines in infected populations of 40-95%. In February 2007 the abalone divers in south west Victoria were forecasting a $5million loss (Australian dollars) in this season’s earnings as a result of the virus. In an attempt to mitigate the spread and impact of the virus both mandatory and voluntary closures of areas of coastline to commercial and recreational harvest have been imposed. hOW TO PROTECT NEW ZEALAND STOCKS The greenlip, blacklip and hybrid abalone species of Australia appear to show equal susceptibility to the virus and there is no reason to suspect New Zealand’s species of abalone are not susceptible to infection from this virus. New Zealand’s best defence is to stop any ganglioneuritis virus incursion occurring. Potential ways to spread the virus include the following: • Commercial diving equipment • Water sports equipment including: surfing or body boarding gear (boards, wetsuits, rash shirts, booties etc), diving and snorkling gear and fishing gear. • Any live or dead abalone from the infected area. • Any shells, stones or other beach material that has been collected from along the Victoria coastline.
Spread of the virus can be mitigated if all surfing, diving and fishing gear is suitably washed and completely dried before leaving the infected area, or before entering an uninfected area, including New Zealand. This also includes all footwear and clothing worn on any aquaculture facility within Australia. hOW DID ThE VIRUS BECOME ESTABLIShED? There is believed to be a high likelihood that infected abalone on a land-based abalone farm were the source of virus infection into wild abalone stocks. It is believed the virus spread from the farm into the wild abalone populations of Taylors Bay as a result of inadequate biosecurity protocols (including disposal of live abalone, waste water, shell and offal) on the farm. How the virus got into the farms is not as yet known. There are a number of working assumptions, however determining the original source is extremely difficult. New Zealand has its own measures in place to protect our blackfoot paua (Haliotis iris). While most of these are voluntary measures monitored by MFish and implemented by the Paua Industry Council and paua farmers, other developments are underway via collaboration between MFish, Biosecurity New Zealand and relevant stakeholders. The combination of these measures will aim to address further protection of New Zealand’s paua from the spread of disease. MFish and other agencies are working closing to ensure further measures will be applied where necessary. SyMPTOMS OF ThE VIRUS The virus threatening Australia’s paua causes inflammation of the nervous tissue, resulting in the edges of the foot curling inwards, swelling and protrusion of the mouth and excess mucus production. Active signs of the viral infection include: infected animals loosing muscle control and sliding or falling BLaCk FOOT PaUa (HaLIOTIS IRIS) off their home scars on the reef, and large amounts of intact but near-dead abalone, shiny empty shells and loose meats rolling around in the wash. The virus is spread through direct contact between infected and healthy abalone. It is believed the virus is exuded in the mucus. The virus can spread without a host through the water column however it is not known how long it survives in this medium. It is not known at this stage if the virus is transmitted from parent to progeny. BLACK FOOT PAUA (hALIOTIS IRIS) Paua is highly valued by both New Zealand’s noncommercial and commercial sectors. It is a particularly valued customary fishery, as providing paua at important events like hui or tangi helps uphold the mana of the host marae. The use of paua shell for decoration and fishing devices is also a big part of Māori tradition. In some places, paua is an important part of the diet. The main paua fisheries are in the lower half of the North Island (Wairarapa/ Wellington south coast), top of the South Island (outer Marlborough Sounds and Kaikoura), the lower half of the South Island (Otago/Southland/Fiordland), Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. Two other paua species are found in New Zealand waters – yellow foot paua (H. australis) and virgin or white foot paua (H. virginea). Both are smaller than black foot paua and less common. APRIL 2008 TheBite 13
Page 1 and 2: TheBite News from MFish APRIL 2008
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Meet the Ministrys new Chief Executive - Ministry of Fisheries

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