Prawn farmers say the latest outbreak of white spot disease on a property at Yamba on the north coast of New South Wales is a "massive risk" for the industry and waterways.
White spot is a highly contagious viral infection that can wipe out large numbers of farmed prawns, but poses no threat to human health and safety.
A farmer reported the disease to the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), which, along with the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), confirmed its presence after testing.
Biosecurity teams have started tracing and surveillance work to find out the source of the outbreak.
White spot was first detected in New South Wales in August.
This is the second detection in the state.
"DNA sequencing from the ACDP will determine if this detection matches any previous white spot samples," NSW chief veterinary officer Sarah Britton said.
The DPI has issued a short-term control order to restrict the movement of raw, uncooked green prawns from the Clarence estuary.
Calls to end prawn imports
White spot was first detected in Australia in south-east Queensland in August 2016, and has affected many east coast prawn farmers since.
It was eradicated but the industry suspected it was coming into Australia from other countries where white spot was endemic.
Australian Prawn Farmers Association chief executive Kim Hooper said the outbreak was "absolutely devastating" for the aquaculture sector and the wild-caught industry.
Ms Hooper said the federal government had to stop white spot product from entering Australia.
"It's a massive risk to our industry and waterways," she said.
"We're reeling that this keeps happening and state and federal governments do not learn when it comes to biosecurity."
She wanted more support from the NSW government as well, and said growers needed financial assistance to buy equipment to cook and eradiate their prawns, which would enable them to be sold despite the outbreak.
Ms Britton confirmed that the affected prawn farm has had to eradicate several ponds full of prawns and the disease had spread from one to the other.
She said the DPI had a team of people on the ground to collect information and begin genetic tracing to work out the source of the disease.
"Importantly, NSW prawns remain safe for human consumption and consumers can continue to purchase NSW prawns from local seafood suppliers," Ms Britton said.
