White Spot detected in NSW prawns

Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW © Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW

At the end of August NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is responding to the detection of White Spot in prawns in an enclosed facility in the north of NSW following confirmatory testing by DPI and the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP).

NSW DPI has also been working closely with the owners of the enclosed prawn facility and have overseen the destruction and disposal of all infected prawns on site. Decontamination activities are well progressed to treat the site and stop any further spread, which was scheduled for completion on Friday 2 September 2022.

A Biosecurity Direction was issued on the property, banning the movement of prawns, water and equipment from the site and limiting the number of people accessing it. DPI is confident the detection has been contained within the enclosed facility.

Surveillance of wild prawn stocks is under way to identify the potential source - and to demonstrate freedom from White Spot in NSW wild prawn populations.

Preliminary genetic analysis using whole genome sequencing undertaken by ACDP indicates that the White Spot detected in northern NSW is different to the White Spot detected in south east Queensland between 2016 and 2020, and is likely to be of separate origin. NSW DPI will continue to keep stakeholders informed of any new information from these activities.

White Spot is highly contagious to prawns and other crustaceans, and was the cause of significant mortality in prawn farms in south east Queensland in 2016.

The NSW Government has had movement restrictions in place to limit the risk of White Spot entering our state since it was first detected in Queensland.

Everyone is reminded never to use prawns intended for human consumption as bait, or to bring bait caught in south east Queensland to NSW.

**White Spot Update**

Received 9 September from Ben Rampano, Incident Controller, White Spot August, NSW Department of Primary Industries (and congratulations to DPI on keeping fishers promptly informed).

"In responding to the detection of White Spot in prawns at an enclosed northern NSW facility on August 18 2022, surveillance of wild prawn stocks by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has not detected the presence of White Spot in local estuary and offshore prawns.

"On 7 September 2022, laboratory analysis was finalised on prawn samples collected from the estuarine areas around the farm and offshore, with all samples testing negative for White Spot. This surveillance reaffirms NSW as free from White Spot in wild prawn populations.

"These results are consistent with and support ongoing testing undertaken by NSW DPI to protect the NSW prawn industry and show freedom from White Spot.

"On 7 September 2022, South Australia installed border restrictions on the importation of prawn and polychaete worm bait products to South Australia from NSW. NSW DPI is working with inter-jurisdictional counterparts to communicate surveillance results and reaffirm that NSW is free of White Spot.

"DPI has responded swiftly and has worked closely with the affected business, the seafood industry and other state and federal jurisdictions to ensure rapid containment and management of the detection.

"NSW DPI has been working closely with the owners of the enclosed prawn facility and have overseen the destruction and disposal of all infected prawns on site. Decontamination activities were undertaken at the facility and completed on 2 September 2022.

"At the time of the detection, a Biosecurity Direction was issued on the property, banning the movement of prawns, water and equipment from the site and limiting the number of people accessing it. NSW DPI is confident the detection has been contained within the enclosed facility. The Biosecurity Direction was confirmed complete and revoked by on 7 September 2022.

"Preliminary genetic analysis using whole genome sequencing undertaken by ACDP indicates that the White Spot that was detected in northern NSW is highly different from the White Spot detected in south-east Queensland between 2016 and 2020 and is likely to be of a separate origin. NSW DPI will continue to keep stakeholders informed of any new information from these activities."