Prawns Queensland: Farmers’ warning over raw prawn imports

PRAWN farmers who destroyed more than $25 million worth of stock after an outbreak of white spot disease say there’s now an even bigger threat to our health on the horizon.

White Spot detected at Rocky Point Prawn Farm, Woongoolba. Picture: Liam Kidston.

PRAWN farmers who have destroyed more than $25 million worth of stock after an outbreak of white spot disease have warned that allowing raw imported prawns back into ­supermarkets risks exposing the country to further diseases.

Australia suspended raw prawn imports on January 6 after evidence that importers had been flouting border rules and diseased prawns sold in ­supermarkets were being used as bait near the site of the outbreak on the Logan River.

The Senate and Australian Inspector-General of Biosecurity have each launched inquiries into the failings.

But farmers fear any findings will be redundant unless sweeping changes are made to the rules for importing prawns.

White Spot detected at Rocky Point Prawn Farm, Woongoolba near Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston.

A study in 2015 found that at least five new diseases had appeared in Asian prawns since 2009, when the current risk analysis came into effect, and had spread quickly due to poor farming practices in the region.

“These practices left the whole shrimp industry vulnerable to rapid spread of the new and newly emerging diseases and resulted in the current ­crisis in Asian shrimp culture,” the study said.

“The situation has been exacerbated since 2009.”

Under current rules, imported prawns would not be tested for these diseases.

Some Asian farmers have spent thousands of dollars erecting mosquito-proof nets to protect their stock.

Australian Inspector-General of Biosecurity Helen Scott-Orr said her inquiry would focus on the circumstances leading to the suspension of uncooked prawn imports and the biosecurity considerations relevant to future trade in uncooked prawns.

Alistair Dick, technical director of Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture, one of seven farms that has destroyed all of its stock, said the reviews would be pointless if they failed to toughen the import rules and include the new diseases being discovered abroad.

“I liken this argument to asking the Australian cattle industry to build sheds and feed lots and bring all their cattle ­indoors in case someone accidentally brings in foot and mouth,” he said.