Clarence River prawn farmers call for compensation over white spot prawn disease outbreak

Fishers on the NSW north coast are pleading for a lifeline as they face a "diabolical" challenge to their businesses. Key points: Fishing businesses are "on their knees" by prawn sale restrictions A disease that can wipe out large numbers of farmed prawns prompted the control order Fishers are calling for compensation ahead of "a long, hard winter" White spot disease was identified at two prawn farms around Yamba in February. "There's plenty of prawns around and we're sitting back here, just looking at the river going, 'We could potentially be out there and making a really good living.'" Mr Williamson said he hoped the NSW and federal governments could agree on a joint support package with "some urgency". "I have received an initial briefing from DPI on the current response to white spot disease, and the impacts on prawn farming and fishing businesses in the area," she said.