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Environmentally & Ecologically Sustainable farming
123 SWAN BAY ROAD KARUAH NSW 2324
About White Spot
White Spot is highly contagious to prawns and can cause high rates of mortality in affected stock. Other crustaceans can be carriers of White Spot, but they are rarely impacted. White Spot poses no threat to human health or food safety.
White Spot spread through Asian prawn farming regions rapidly in the 1990s and established in farmed prawn in the Americas - causing widespread losses.
Farmed Black Tiger Prawn (Penaeus monodon) under investigation for suspected White Spot
What biosecurity measures are in place to contain the spread of White Spot?
White Spot was confirmed in a prawn farm in northern NSW on 12 February 2023. Strict biosecurity requirements have been implemented on the farm via a formal Individual Biosecurity Direction issued under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 to contain, manage and eradicate the outbreak on the farm.
An emergency management Incident Management Team (IMT) has been stood up to ensure a coordinated response to the detection, led by NSW DPI.
As a precaution, a short-term control order was issued on 16 February 2023 to restrict the movement of raw, uncooked green prawns from the Clarence Estuary.
Prawns and polychaete worms may only be moved out of the Clarence Estuary if they have been cooked. There are exemptions for certain uncooked decapod seafood species, such as crabs and lobsters, to be moved out of the estuary for the purpose of human consumption only, which must be cooked as soon as possible upon arrival at the destination.
Any person in possession of prawns that have originated from the Clarence Estuary from 12-15 February 2023 must contact NSW DPI as soon as practicable be either calling the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or by emailing aquatic.biosecurity@dpi.nsw.gov.au
BIOSECURITY ALERT
(Movement control order extended until June 14 2023)
White Spot has been detected at a prawn facility in northern NSW and confirmed by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) tests.
NSW DPI has stood up an emergency response Incident Management Team. The team is working to determine the source of the outbreak and to complete surveillance activities.
On 16 February 2023, a temporary control order was issued including restrictions on the movement of raw, uncooked decapod crustaceans out of an area defined as the Clarence River Control Zone (see map below), while containment, source detection and surveillance activities are underway.
Prawns and polychaete worms may only be moved out of the Clarence River Control Zone if they have been cooked. There are exemptions for certain uncooked decapod seafood species, such as crabs and lobsters, to be moved out of the Clarence River Control Zone for the purpose of human consumption only, which must be cooked as soon as possible upon arrival at the destination.
Any person in possession of prawns that have originated from the Clarence River Control Zone from 12-15 February 2023 must contact NSW DPI as soon as practicable be either calling the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or by emailing aquatic.biosecurity@dpi.nsw.gov.au