Fair suck of prawn for farmers

LOGAN River prawn farmers are close to unlocking a $20 million assistance package designed to provide the industry with a lifeline as it battles an outbreak of white spot disease.

The farmers have been crying out to access the funds since May when they agreed to let their ponds lie fallow for the coming prawn season.

Prawn farming on the river was thrown into turmoil late last year as white spot spread to every farm in the area, forcing the industry to destroy prawns worth more than $40 million.

Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the Government could soon give the green light for funds to flow. “This $20 million assistance package will help reimburse costs for prawn farmers in the initial response to the white spot disease outbreak.”

Gold Coast Marine Aquaculture general manager Nick Moore said the financial assistance would help the businesses survive while their farms were not producing any prawns.