Currently approximately 60 licensed growers in Victoria. Yabby farming is often carried out at the lowest and easiest level known as extensive aquaculture. Offers farmers a way of diversifying their income through the utilisation of existing dam structures that are primarily used for stock watering.
Environmentally friendly as inputs are minimal. Yabbies are particularly sensitive to pesticides and herbicides.
The sale of yabbies in Victoria is almost exclusively through the trade of live product. Believes that food safety risks associated with live yabbies are extremely low.
Microbial risks associated with yabbies are negated given that yabbies are fully cooked in boiling water prior to consumption. Believes the low fat content of yabbies means that they are at low risk of bioaccumulation of chemical hazards either through environmental or through farming practices. The physiological nature of the animal is such that the animal will die when exposed to even low levels of toxicants used in the agricultural sector or naturally occurring in the environment.
Minimal risks are supported by:
FSANZ DAR P265 where yabbies are ranked as low risk
Fisheries Victoria Research Report Series 12 ‘Risk Assessment of Pesticides for Yabby Farmers April 2004’
National Residue Survey
The subsequent costs of government regulating these risks to the yabby aquaculture industry is disproportionately high considering the transport and sale of live finfish (including eels which are grown under similar farming conditions and have a much higher fat content) are exempt from regulation under the Victorian Seafood Safety Act 2003
Requests this burden be eased by exempting the sale of live yabbies from the regulation and that any food safety risks be controlled through agreed industry codes of practice. The Victorian Yabby Producers manual (NRE) provides a code of practice that could be considered by government and industry in this context.
