Lobster industry in Port Macdonnell shut down after deadly abalone disease

The lobster industry in the South Australian south-east town of Port Macdonnell has been shut-down to stop the spread of a deadly abalone disease.

Transcript

00:00 South Australia's largest lobster fleet is stuck in the harbour and a busy fishing town

00:07 is at a standstill.

00:09 Port Macdonald is a fishing town, so the whole town is based around the fishing industry.

00:14 So nearly everyone in this town will be impacted by it somehow.

00:18 The discovery of viral ganglionuritis in Abalone off the coast of Port Macdonald triggered

00:23 snap fishing bans.

00:25 The deadly disease spreads quickly and it's the first time it's been found in South Australian

00:31 waters.

00:32 The closures have been put in place and everyone really needs to abide by those closures because

00:39 we know it can be spread by human activity.

00:42 Everyone from the lobster fleet to recreational fishers are banned from the exclusion zone,

00:48 which extends 10km out to sea from the Victorian border to just north of Port Macdonald.

00:55 It means the only boats on the move are those being pulled out of the water.

01:00 We don't want to lose any industry, especially one as important as the Abalone fisheries

01:04 down here and obviously six families rely on that as they're living.

01:09 All fishers, recreational and professional, have been told they won't be back out on the

01:14 water until at least March 8th and that date could be pushed out depending on the testing

01:20 of Abalone in the next week.

01:22 We haven't wanted to implement this zone but it really is essential so that we can stop

01:28 the transfer of this virus by human activity.

01:31 Port Macdonald locals are supportive of fishing bans.

01:35 Everyone will be helpful in the way of working out how to get gear, decontaminate and stop

01:38 the spread.

01:39 It'll be a nervous wait with the area's predominant industry on hold.

01:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]