Shrimp infecteed with the white spot virus. (Photo: shrimpdiseases.wordpress.com)

Sixth shrimp farm tested WSD positive

AUSTRALIA
Tuesday, February 07, 2017, 02:00 (GMT + 9)

A sixth aquaculture farm located south of the Logan River in southeastern Queensland has yielded positive results for the virus that causes white spot disease (WSV) in prawn. This confirmation only increases the industry's concern about the possibility of eradicating the pathogen.

Of the eight shrimp farms in the area south of Brisbane, one in which the disease was not detected had no shrimp stocks at present, while the other still unaffected will be closely monitored for any signs of white spot.

"He has done some of his harvesting but the rest of his crop has been a bit too small to harvest so he was hoping to try and hang on for another couple of weeks,” said Australian Prawn Farmers Association executive officer Helen Jenkins with reference to the farm owner.

Meanwhile, Biosecurity Queensland is in the process of draining ponds from the farms that have already been destocked but that process will take many months.

The Federal Government has already announced financial help for the south-east Queensland prawn farmers affected by WSD, with 1.74 million (USD 1.33 million) to be divided up between the various stakeholders.

"We will contain it eventually but the big variables will be whether this disease is established in the wild or not and that opinion, at some point in the not-too-distant future, will inform much of the future of the industry,” Queensland Fisheries Minister Bill Byrne said.

The official explained that it is the government aim to contain and eradicate the disease and to re-commission those farms in whatever possible way and to provide whatever assistance for those who are willing to re-commence.

The importation of green prawns into Australia was suspended last month by the federal government, following the initial outbreak of WSD in Queensland in November 2016. It was the first time the disease was discovered in the country.

The Department of Agriculture continues to investigate several prawn suppliers and importers on suspicion that they did not comply with the biosecurity measures before the white spot outbreak occurred.

Related articles:

- AUD 25 million losses estimated for Queensland’s shrimp sector 
- Origin of shrimp disease is still unknown
- Another prawn farm tested positive to white spot virus in Queensland
- White spot disease confirmed in prawn farm
 

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