Authorities are scrambling to contain an outbreak of white spot disease in Queensland as prawn farmers and fishermen face devastating losses in the pre-Christmas period. Wild prawns taken from the Logan river, south of Brisbane, have tested positive, as have prawns at three of the eight land-based farms in the region. The virus, which can stop prawns and crabs from growing but poses no risk to humans, was not previously known to be in Australia, and has sparked a ban on prawn and crab fishing in the river while eradication efforts continue. The Queensland government has ruled out compensation for land-based prawn farmers and commercial fisherman hit by the closure of the river’s prawn and crab fisheries. But the Queensland Seafood Industry Association is lobbying to change that, saying the outbreak is akin to a natural disaster and some Logan river fishermen face losing 20% to 30% of their income because they will miss out on the lucrative Christmas trade. The Queensland Seafood Industry Association chief executive, Eric Perez, said the timing could not be worse for fishermen, and wants the government to reconsider its stance on compensation. “We think this should be considered an exceptional circumstance, much like a flood or a natural disaster,” he said. “This has hit in the lead-up to the two or three busiest weeks for some of these businesses.” Industry groups, affected farmers and fisherman and biosecurity and government agencies were due to attend an emergency meeting on Tuesday. Perez said he would have a much better handle on the likely economic losses after that meeting. Queensland’s chief biosecurity officer, Jim Thompson, said chlorine was being used to kill all prawns on the three infected farms, including in ponds that had not tested positive for white spot. The chlorine also acts as a decontamination agent. Thompson said it must be difficult for prawn farmers to watch, but it was vital to prevent birds or other agents potentially spreading the disease to new sites. “Our process is to, in effect, lock down those affected sites and clean them up as quickly as we can. Unfortunately, in those circumstances, it means we do have to destroy the prawns on site,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday. One farm’s stocks had been destroyed by Tuesday morning and work was continuing on the other two infected farms. Sampling across a wide area had returned no other positive results on Monday.
Queensland fisherman and prawn farmers may face devastating losses in the wake of an outbreak of white spot disease. The virus prevents prawns and crabs from growing, with the Queensland Seafood Industry Association comparing the disease to a "natural disaster. White spots are caused by bacteria that can be found on many types of seafood. An emergency meeting has been called for industry groups, government agencies and affected farmers and fisherman. There is currently a fishing ban in the Logan river while authorities attempt to halt the outbreak. Some fisherman face losing 20% to 30% of income due to missed Christmas trade.