December 18, 2007

Australia to suffer sharp drop in shrimp supply

Prawn importers are suggesting approximately half of the usual prawn catch will not be available in Australian markets because of security implementations by Biosecurity Australia, the Sunday Mail in Adelaide reported.

The measures, enforced by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Were intended to reduce the risk of contamination of local prawn stocks by transmission from infected imported prawns.

Importers say the drop in supply would cause shrimp prices to rise dramatically, and local jobs will be placed at risk.

Seafood Importers Association president Harry Peters argues that biosecurity on Thai prawn farms may even exceed that on Australia's farms, adding that the measures are more about protectionism by political parties to look after a small population of local prawn farmers.

Peters noted that the international scientific community has pointed out there has never been an exotic disease incursion from commodity prawns (frozen dead prawns for human consumption) anywhere in the world.

Previous cases in other countries have resulted from prawn farmers importing infected live prawns as broodstock - and in Australia, live imports are prohibited.

Meanwhile, a group of Australian chefs have toured Thailand's prawn farming industry to examine the potential risk to Australia from imported raw prawns.

Glenn Austin, Asia Pacific director of the World Association of Chefs Societies said the notion that Asian export prawns are grown in unhygienic conditions and are not properly scrutinised for residues or disease "an appalling myth".