Australia has for the first time detected the devastating white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) at shrimp farms in Queensland and authorities are working hard to mitigate the risk of any impact on wild shrimp stocks.
The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) has presently no idea of the source of the disease but has prioritized its containment and eradication before investigating its pathway into Australia.
The affected shrimp farms are on the Logan River, south of Brisbane, and FRDC said the disease has not been detected in nearby wild shrimp stocks.
A testing program is being coordinated by Biosecurity Queensland alongside the industry, with the primary goal to not let the disease get off the farms “in any way, shape or form,” said FRDC.
The eight aquaculture facilities on the Logan River produce around 40 percent of Australia's farmed shrimp.
According to the Australian Prawn Farmer’s Association (APFA), the country’s shrimp farming industry is one of the smaller volumetric producers in the world, producing approximately 5,000 metric tons (MT) of product annually with a farm gate value estimated to be AUD 87.7 million (USD 65.5 million, EUR 61.8 million). It is, though, one of the most productive industries, with an average yield of more than 9,000 kg per hectare.
Farms are currently located in two Australian states – New South Wales and Queensland.
White spot virus has been one of the most widespread pathogens affecting farmed shrimp in recent decades, typically resulting in an 80-100 percent loss of stock and costing the shrimp farming industry billions of dollars.
