However the decision has angered some.
Huon Aquaculture sought permission to put fish previously exposed to the POM-V virus into unused leases at Norfolk Bay, Tasmania, Australia, where they would be harvested.
The decision has been greeted with anger by recreational anglers and conservation groups, who are concerned that the relocation of the fish could impact on the habitat of the endangered red handfish as reported in ABC news.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) approved the plan to move about 5,000 tonnes of the fish near to the fragile eco-system in Tasmania.
The EPA director, Wes Ford, who approved the move said he was confident there would be no impact on other species.
“My advice from the biosecurity regulators is that the disease does not transfer to other Tasmanian native fish,” Mr Ford told the publication.
In a statement, Huon Aquaculture said that the Norfolk Bay move was temporary and “if the site is to be used beyond this period, new permits will be required”.
The permit has been granted until the end of December.
