Prawn industry thrown $21.4m recovery package for white spot disease response

A financial lifebuoy has been thrown to the struggling NSW prawn industry impacted by biosecurity measures for the introduced white spot disease, but fishers say the payout won't go far enough. Key points: Wild-caught prawn fishers have been caught up in the biosecurity lockdown for farmed prawns The disease, first seen in Queensland in 2016, is spread through infected animals or contaminated water Imported raw prawns used as bait is being blamed by some for the outbreak Prawn fishers and farmers in the state's north have been in lockdown since February with more than 40 trawlers laying idle after the highly contagious disease was found in the Clarence River last August. White Spot is condemning the Clarence River prawn fishers to life in limbo due to the biosecurity shutdown of the industry. Photo shows Prawns with white spot disease White spot disease found in Queensland prawns is highly contagious and lethal to crustaceans.