Responsible use of chemicals in aquaculture

Unless authorised under a permit, all agricultural and veterinary chemical products used on your aquaculture farm should be registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). When using chemicals, make sure you follow the instructions on the label.

It is also your responsibility to make sure any use of chemicals is in line with relevant Queensland legislation. This may include:

• Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988
• Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Regulation 2017
• Food Production (Safety) Act 2000
• Food Production (Safety) Regulation 2014
• Environmental Protection Act 1994
• Environmental Protection Regulation 2019
• Public Health Act 2005

Work health and safety

As a business owner or manager, you have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of any staff or third parties that may be exposed to chemicals. You must make sure all staff:

• are aware of the hazards of the chemicals used
• have training in storing, using and handling chemicals
• have the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when using chemicals.

Find out more about your legal obligations for work, health and safety training.

Chemical residues and withholding periods

Information about chemical use and withholding periods prior to harvest appear on the label of registered chemicals.

If a veterinary surgeon has provided instructions for treating animals with a veterinary chemical, you should follow that advice. It is important to follow the correct dose rates and any withholding period advised by your vet before harvesting treated aquaculture products for human consumption. Harvesting before the withholding period has lapsed could mean unacceptable chemical residues are still in the aquaculture product.

Where treated animals are subject to a withholding period, you must take reasonable steps to ensure that the animals can be identified during the period. Physical segregation and written records can be used for this purpose.

Also consider...

• Read more about using agricultural and veterinary chemicals.
• Find out more about responsible chemical use in rural industries on the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website.
• Read more about registered and unregistered chemical use aquaculture.
• Learn more about registered chemicals on the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) website.