Prawn Alert on DPI web

[shaman]

Does anybody still have the e-mail address of that young journo from that northern gold coast newspaper, remember the shark report girl.
If so we could maybe get something started at some level........ BILLY

[Hornblower]

Well, as promised, I rang DPI today and I politely asked who was responsible for letting this rubbish into the Country - and the Responsible body is AQIS short for "Australian Quaranteen Inspection Service". I then rang their Brisbane Office and politely asked the same question we have been asking on this website. I even quoted parts of the DPI warning especially the bit about the "potential devastating effects" to the environment and local prawn industry and I had the lady (Maryanne) stumped for a reply. She promised to refer the matter to "Imported Food Office" and took all of my details including e-mail address and promised to get back to me, possibly Monday. Well, no word today. One interesting thing I was told by AQIS was that all imported foods are scientifically inspected BEFORE they are allowed into our market. Begs the questions - How come DPI have picked this up and AQIS didn't? AND Why don't AQIS know about the DPI alert? Fair dinkum we pay more than our fair share of earnings in taxes so why don't we get the level of protection we deserve AND pay for through those taxes? > Further, I said that I was an avid watcher of Border Security and that this matter has only eroded the confidence that the show had built up. She could only agree. Stay Tuned!!!

Cheers

[Big_unit]

Guys I have been in contact with a journo who has read this thread along with her editor and they are more than likely going to do a story on this.

Cheers
James

[shaman]

E-mailed Sarah-Jane (Sharks In Coomera) from Riverlands News last night and am hoping she will respond .......................Billy

[BigE]

maybe border security would like the scoop on a special. international seafood ring importing product without going thru customs or Quaranteen. would make a good special dont you think? anyone have any contacts at Border security.


E

[jim_farrell]

I don't believe it is an aqis problem as the disease is not an issue for humans. It only becomes a problem when the prawns end up in the water, therefor a DPI problem.
All that said I don't believe we should import prawns, diseased or not.

[DICER]

I agree so - but we have been doing it for years and the same goes for pilchards etc. Now it doesn't take to much to think aout the West Australian pilchard kill does it???

Because you don't find something to read about it immediately - does not mean they are doing nothing!! Why did they say these particular viruses??

Check out the AAHL fish disease labs in Geelong. They are the headquarters for new disease identification.

[Hornblower]

I guess what gets me is why, if there is ANY risk at all, doesn't someone stop their importation. DPI claim that they do not have the power to stop importation, and that may be right, so why haven't AQIS acted? I am still waiting for the reply off AQIS, so hopefully Monday. With any luck the journo's will shake things up a bit.

[Dirtysanchez]

Good on you Hornblower, kick arse mate !

Geez I started a thing with this didn't I ? oh well, it is good to see people give a damn about things like this and want to do something about it.

Makes me want to go home tonight and salute the flag !!

Mind you, the Mrs grabbed some chinese takeaway on Friday night, you guessed it, curried prawns.. they weren't that tasty and you can guess what was going through my mind while I ate them.. ewwww

[Hornblower]

Me again, sorry to go about all this, but I finnished nightwork this morning, came home, had a good sleep, woke up in a good mood about 3.00pm thinking about the next six days off and prospective fishing trips. Picked up the kids from school (Mood went down a notch with the fighting in the car) , went to Beenleigh Bait and Tackle to pick up a reel that the fellas there had repaired and serviced for me at an excellent price, mood back up there . Thought about checking the answering machine for the response from AQIS, got home - nothing there! Oh well, not to worry they said they might e-mail the response, checked the old e-mail - nothing there - a dark mood came over me. > >

Will give them a ring tomorrow and find out what the story is. Mind you, after reading Dirtysanchez's last post my mood improved, nearly fell off the chair laughing thinking about the expression on his face eating the local chew and spues curried prawns. I'll try to stay positive, AQIS are probably really busy, but we deserve a reply.

Cheers

[chrisfish]

Hornblower is right about the World Trade Agreement. I was in Canberra earlier this year talking to people from the Attorney-Generals Department, the Dept of Communication, Information Technology and the Arts and IP Australia. Any mention of the WTA made their faces sink lower than a NSW rugbly league supporter. They reckon Australia got f@ckd over bigtime. It's one way traffic with the US and John Howard loves being George Dubya's bumboy.

[S.S.]

Some interesting reading re: risk assessment on the prawn situation.

http://www.daffa.gov.au/content/publ...B00184796DBEE3

[Hornblower]

Thanks Leanne, It all seems a bit wishy washy with alot of statements and assertions but not alot telling you what those statements and assertions are based on - I do have a lot more reading with it yet though!!

As for today, unfortunately matrimonial duties called this afternoon and I had to take the wife to the shops. I WILL follow it up tomorrow though and post the results.

Cheers

[Green]

Thanks Leeannp, for the reading material.

ABPMs 2000/57 and 2001/06 announced interim measures for the importation of prawns and prawn products which included a testing regime to demonstrate freedom from WSSV. In consultation with State and Territory governments and other experts, Biosecurity Australia has developed a testing program which will apply to all consignments of whole green and unpeeled headless prawns. Prawns will stay in quarantine bond until the results of the test are available. Batches that return positive results must be re-exported, destroyed or further processed in a facility approved by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) for that purpose.

"Every consignment of whole green and unpeeled headless prawns will remain in quarantine until results from tests are available. Batches that return positive results (WSSV) must be re-exported, destroyed (would like to see reports), or further processed??. DPI says don't use as bait, why?"

Biosecurity Australia and the IRA team have been monitoring developments regarding the emergence of the prawn disease, TSV, including the spread of TSV into parts of Asia, the increased volume of imports, the lower cost of vannamei imports from Asia, and scientific information on the virus. TSV is exotic to Australia and is not a human health concern.

"The spread of TSV.... The lower cost of vannamei imports from asia.....
TSV is not a human health concern, but are the drugs used, in the quantity used?.

Taura syndrome is an internationally reportable viral disease affecting mainly vannamei prawns (Litopenaeus vannamei). Originally reported from Ecuador in cultured L. vannamei, the disease has since been associated with production losses in the Americas, and more recently in Asia. Its spread is usually associated with movements of live prawns. It is not known to manifest as a significant disease in the prawn species produced in Australia and there is no commercial vannamei prawn fishing or farming in Australia.

"The disease has been associated with production losses, (could wipe out an industry). It is not known to manifest significantly in prawn species produced in Australia, but there is no commercial vannamei prawn fishing or farming here.(maybe because the vannamei aren't found here locally?)


Biosecurity Australia has commissioned the Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory, University of Arizona in the United States, to research the susceptibility of five Australian crustacean species to infection with the Thai and Belize isolates of TSV by ingestion of infected prawn meat or by injection. The species were:

. banana prawn Fenneropenaeus merguiensis (challenged only with Thai TSV isolate),
. black tiger prawn Penaeus monodon,
. redclaw Cherax quadricarinatus,
. marron Cherax tenuimanus and
. the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Significant clinical disease due to TSV was not observed in any of the Australian species challenged. Nor did challenge with TSV result in cumulative mass mortalities that are typical of TSV outbreaks among susceptible species. TSV nucleic acid was detected in all the species, although an active (replicative) infection was only detected in Fenneropenaeus merguiensis and Penaeus monodon, following injection challenge. The positive control prawns, L. vannamei, which were treated in the same way as the Australian animals, developed the disease and died.

"So only the Banana and Black tiger developed an active(replicative) infection?.
The positive control prawns, L. vannamei, which were treated in the same way as the Australian animals, developed the disease and died. If it was a replicative infection it must mean the Banana and Tiger died also?

Note that the conditions as listed in Attachment A are interim conditions. These will remain in place only until the current import risk analysis on prawns is completed and the final quarantine conditions are announced.

" Please note that the first, fifth and fortieth shipment must be disease free as we will be testing these. The failure of the testing of these shipments will result in our embarassment, hence the lower future price we will be submitting, hence the massive fines."

" That last Quote was not derived from any facts, anywhere, merely my view on this matter."

[tunaman]

Interesting read! More and more Diseases will enter this country,
and there is no way of stopping them. The thing with viruses, is they
have a way of jumping the over to us! its only a matter of time.
And when the first human dies, by then, its to late.
Mark my words! We will pay for there mistakes!
Bird flu will be coming next!



signed tunaman