Biosecurity Queensland has revealed that white spot has been found in seafood samples from South East Queensland more than three years after it was first detected in the region.
The Agency undertook routine surveillance for white spot in Moreton Bay last month, finding it in mangrove swimming crabs and then again in two prawn farms on the Logan River.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said the results were confirmed in tests conducted by the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Victoria.
Mr Furner said however that white spot was no threat to human health and Queensland seafood remained safe to eat.
“This is not the result we wanted to see,” Mr Furner said.
“Queensland seafood is magnificent, the best in the world, and that hasn’t changed.”
“I hope everyone will back our Queensland seafood industry by buying it and enjoying it more than ever.”
He said Biosecurity Queensland would review all prawn farms to ensure future on-farm biosecurity management was appropriate in dealing with the new detection.
He said representatives of Biosecurity Queensland had met with members of the Aquatic Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Disease to discuss ongoing management options for white spot which affected crustaceans, prawns and crabs, but was not harmful to humans.
Mr Furner said white spot movement restrictions remained in place for raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms from Caloundra to the New South Wales border and west to Ipswich.
