China's rules for imported seafood are among the reasons for a snap partial closure of Tasmania's rock lobster fishery, in an area where salmon farms are using the antibiotic florfenicol.

Just hours after the commercial rock lobster season opened on Friday, the Natural Resources and Environment Department (NRE) closed two sections of the fishery south of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel in the state's south-east "until further notice".

"The [areas] were closed because they are within the 3-kilometre radius of where florfenicol has been used within the salmon pens," said Jane McGowan from the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Council.

" The decision to close is not because of florfenicol as a risk to human consumption, it's more under an abundance of caution to do with market access for our export mark

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