Abalone virus alarm

Authorities discovered the virus at a processing plant last Thursday.Laboratory testing confirmed the presence of abalone viral ganglioneuritis.The state's chief veterinary officer Rod Andrewartha yesterday said action had been taken at the facility to contain the virus.Dr Andrewartha said he would explain the latest outbreak to the industry either today or tomorrow."We will be discussing with the industry where we take it from here," he said.

The virus has the potential to devastate the state's $100 million abalone industry.The virus had not been detected in Tasmania since last year. It was first detected in the state last September, also at a processing plant.The detection prompted widespread testing of wild abalone around Tasmania.

The virus was detected in only one wild abalone and that result was later deemed to be inconclusive.Dr Andrewartha said there was a possibility the virus could be endemic in Tasmanian abalone and only manifested when the shellfish were under stress, such as when held in tanks.

Victoria's abalone industry has been devastated by the quick-killing virus, with quotas reduced by up to 90 per cent.Tasmanian Abalone Council chief executive Dean Lisson said the industry was looking at reducing the impact of the virus by improving the way it managed abalone.

Mr Lisson said there was growing evidence the virus was endemic and only attacked abalone when they were under stress while stored in holding tanks for live export.

"We believe it comes down to a management issue," he said. "It comes do to maintaining the best environment for them." Mr Lisson said the industry was looking at measures to decrease stress levels in storage tanks, such as:

• Ensuring salinity levels were as close as possible to sea water.

• Keeping temperatures cool -- about 12C.

• Removing waste products through bio-filters.

• Keeping stock densities low.

Mr Lisson said the recent outbreak had affected only a handful of abalone at the processing plant.

And he said the virus posed no health risks for humans.