The Minns Labor Government is supporting prawn fishers and farmers in the Clarence, Evans and Richmond Rivers affected by the detection of white spot in wild prawns with an additional financial assistance package of $4.5 million.
The package will assist impacted fishers to exit the industry and includes funding for voluntary share and business buyouts and business training to support those fishers in the region who decide to exit.
Over the last two years, the Minns Government has invested $21.4 million to respond to the outbreak, enhance biosecurity controls and support affected prawn fishers in the Clarence, Evans and Richmond Rivers, with act-of-grace payments, business share buyouts, fee waivers, Crown Land rent waivers and mental health support services.
White spot is now considered established in wild prawn populations within the existing areas of detection in northern NSW and that has led to a new biosecurity control order enlarging the impacted area being declared and dated till 2030.
Prawn fishers in the control zone have restrictions on how they can move uncooked or unprocessed prawns outside the zone, and this will have considerable impact on their businesses.
Biosecurity control orders have been operating in the Northern Rivers of NSW since 2022. The objective of potentially being able to stand the control orders down has dissipated due to repeated positive testing for white spot within the coastal sea off those rivers.
The NSW Government has been undertaking testing, assisting industry, and advocating to the Commonwealth Government to determine if the national biosecurity approach could be modified when considering the need for a biosecurity control order for northern NSW region.
However, the impacts on national trade and standing within international trade led to a retaining of the existing requirement to maintain the restrictions within the control order.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:
"The Minns Government has provided significant financial support of more than $21 million to the prawn farming and fishing industry in northern NSW during the last few challenging years and this $4.5 million financial transition package demonstrates our continuing commitment.
"With white spot now confirmed as established in wild prawn populations in the affected areas, the NSW Government has developed this funding package to help fishing businesses transition out with financial buybacks, business retraining and other support measures.
"The NSW Government acknowledges this has been a challenging time for workers and businesses in the industry and I encourage them to utilise the available mental health and financial counselling.
"Consumers are assured that white spot does not pose a threat to human health or food safety."
