White Spot

Whether the risks posed by imports from Australia's trading partners are being sufficiently assessed and addressed, whether we really need to or should import certain products at all, and whether Australia is becoming complacent, resigned, or courting disaster for political Brownie points - such questions are being asked more often. ... This last week, Australia's biosecurity around beef and banana imports was called into question by David Littleproud, Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister. ARR.News sought a response from Julie Collins, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ...

Since 2023, the Clarence River prawn trawl industry has been on its knees, with fishermen locked out of their livelihoods due to a White Spot Control Order costing countless millions in income. White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) was detected by the NSW Department of Primary Industries DPI in August 2022 at a Palmers Island prawn farm…

Clarence Nationals MP Richie Williamson has again taken the fight for local fishing families to Macquarie Street, delivering a Private Member’s Statement in the NSW Parliament on Tuesday night, calling on the Minns Labor Government to provide immediate financial support for Clarence River and Evans Head commercial fishers impacted by the extended white spot biosecurity orders.

More than 10,000 mulloway fingerlings were released into the Clarence River at Yamba on Friday, July 26. The 10,000 mulloway fingerlings were produced by Searle Aquaculture and the fish re-stocking program has been done by the Clarence River Fisherman’s Cooperative.

Biosecurity threats are big news from fire ants in Wardell to white spot in prawns in the Clarence Valley. The State Government announced its budget of $945.7million for biosecurity measures.

Large traces of white spot virus were detected in wild-caught school prawns south of Ballina ... State MP Richie Williamson said it is a further blow to the commercial fishing industry across the region with Clarence River estuary fishers already impacted by a two-year biosecurity lockdown.

An online petition has been launched calling for a fair deal for Clarence River prawn trawler operators after the government offered a paltry $133 per share to buy back their trawling entitlements, leaving them without a business and a small payback for their life’s work.

Three Palmers Island prawn farms at the centre of the White Spot outbreak in the Clarence River have entered the final stage of decontamination as part of the NSW Department of Primary Industries DPI eradication response ... The extension of the Control Order was a devastating blow for the Clarence prawn trawl industry and trawler operators like Dean Opalniuk, who received no income from prawns this year, where he would usually average $3000 a week in season, leaving him with a business that was worth more than $200,000, now being worthless.

From 7th July 2017, a temporary ban on the importation of uncooked prawn products was lifted and replaced with import conditions which have consequently failed and once again threatened our great seafood industry. Recent detections of White Spot Disease (WSD) at three prawn farms on the NSW North Coast have the SFF calling on the Federal Government to slam the door shut and permanently ban the importation of raw, uncooked prawns and decapod crustaceans into Australia.