What you can do
Recreational fishers and members of the public
- Never use prawns meant for human consumption as bait. Imported raw prawns can introduce serious prawn diseases.
- Buy bait from a trusted supplier, such as a tackle shop, or catch your own locally where allowed.
- Put prawn waste (heads and shells) in the bin, not in waterways.
- Make ‘clean’ part of your routine (PDF, 385.23 KB), wash your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another location.
Prawn farmers
- Follow your permit conditions and biosecurity rules.
- Report unusual mortalities or suspected white spot within 24 hours to the EAD Hotline on 1800 675 888 or a local Fisheries Officer.
- Ensure you have an up-to-date Biosecurity Plan based on current biosecurity requirements and guidelines.
- Use separate equipment where possible or decontaminate between areas.
- Limit visitors to production areas and check where delivery trucks and other visitors have been previously before entry.
Seafood processors and bait suppliers
- Be aware of the control orders for NSW and Queensland affected areas.
- Do not buy or sell uncooked prawns, crustaceans, or marine worms from restricted areas unless treated under the control order.
- Cooked prawns can move freely if securely packaged and transported.
- Moving uncooked prawns or crustaceans through the control zone for human consumption (not bait) is allowed only if:
- They come from outside the control zone.
- Packaging stays sealed.
- Grower and packer details are clearly shown.
- They go straight to a point of sale in NSW for human consumption.
Commercial fishers
- Do not move uncooked prawns, crustaceans, or marine worms originating from the White Spot Control Zone (NSW) or South-east Queensland affected area into the rest of NSW.
- Some high-value species (lobsters, mud crabs, blue swimmer crabs, spanner crabs, and slipper lobsters (Moreton Bay bugs)) can move uncooked if:
- They are for human consumption.
- They are cooked as soon as possible after arrival.
- If alive, they are not placed in NSW waters.
- Dispose of transport water in a public sewer and waste at a depot.
- Transport documents must show the date and location of capture.
- Equipment used in the control zone for commercial catch of crustaceans or marine worms cannot enter the rest of NSW unless cleaned under an approved protocol.
- Check interstate rules before trading as they differ from state to state.
Reporting suspected white spot?
White spot is declared as Prohibited Matter under Schedule 2 of the Biosecurity Act 2015. There is a duty to report the presence or suspected presence of white spot at any place to the department.
Report any unusual mortalities or suspicions of white spot to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline 1800 675 888 or email aquatic.biosecurity@dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Interstate Trade restrictions
Other states have imposed different trade restrictions on uncooked prawns, decapod crustaceans and polychaete worms. Please check the relevant fisheries website - see www.outbreak.gov.au for more information.
FAQs
What is white spot?
White spot affects decapod crustaceans including prawns, crabs and lobsters. It is highly contagious to prawns and other farmed crustaceans and can cause high rates of mortality in affected prawn stock. Wild crustaceans can be carriers of white spot; however, they are rarely affected.
Where did white spot come from?
White spot spread quickly through prawn farms in Asia in the 1990s and later caused major losses in the Americas. It was first detected in Australia in farmed prawns in south-east Queensland in December 2016.
In NSW, white spot was found in an enclosed hatchery in August 2022 and eradicated from the facility. In February 2023, white spot was again confirmed as the cause of prawn farm deaths near the Clarence River.
Since then, NSW has been running a long-term surveillance program. The latest detections occurred in April 2025 during routine testing. Positive results for the causative agent of white spot were confirmed in wild school prawns off Yamba and in waters near the Evans and Richmond Rivers. These findings show that white spot is now present in some wild prawn populations in NSW.
Where was the most recent detection?
The latest detection occurred during ongoing testing as part of the NSW long-term surveillance plan for white spot inshore and offshore from the Clarence River Control Zone following the outbreak in February 2023. Prawn samples were collected from marine waters off Yamba as part of the Clarence River long-term surveillance plan and sent to Elizabeth Macarthur Agriculture Institute (EMAI) where they returned a positive result for WSSV. The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness confirmed the result on 4 April 2025.
Additionally, on 4 April the EMAI advised the NSW CVO of samples being submitted to ACDP from the Evans and Richmond Rivers areas for confirmatory testing, following preliminary results. Confirmatory results received on 8 and 10 April 2025 included positive results in wild caught school prawns from three sampling regions in inshore ocean waters outside the mouth of the Evans River, and two sampling regions in inshore ocean waters outside the mouth of the Richmond River.
Is it safe to eat prawns?
Yes prawns are safe to eat. White spot does not affect people.
Does cooking inactivate white spot?
No. Freezing does not inactivate white spot.
Can fish spread white spot?
No. White spot of prawns and other decapod crustacea has a different cause to the "white spot" that fishkeepers may be familiar with. White spot of crustacea does not affected finfish, and white spot of finfish does not affect crustacea.
What does it mean for the future of prawn wild stocks?
Wild crustaceans can be carriers of white spot, however they are rarely affected.
The impacts from white spot on prawns in the wild is difficult to evaluate as there is little evidence about the effects of white spot on wild populations in overseas countries, where it is known to occur and is considered endemic.
The recent detections of white spot were in wild-caught school prawns (Metapenaeus macleayi). These prawns were not showing signs of illness when captured.
There have been no detections of white spot in any other decapod or prawn species in NSW (including eastern king prawns).
What are the consequences for the industry?
White spot causes major impacts on the prawn farming and prawn fishing communities and associated industries on which many people rely to make a living. To minimise the further risk of spread and impact of white spot, formal control measures are required in areas where white spot is detected.
What should people look for?
Wild prawns in most cases do not display any signs of white spot.
Signs of white spot in farmed prawns include:
- rapid onset of mass mortality (80% or more) in farmed penaeid prawns during the grow out period
- lethargy
- cessation of feeding
- aggregations of moribund prawns near the water surface at the edge of the rearing pond or tank
Prawns may display:
- a loose carapace
- high degrees of colour variation, with a predominance of darkened (red-brown or pink) body surface and appendages
- white calcium deposits embedded in the shell, causing white spots 0.5 – 3.0 mm in diameter
As with any aquatic disease, diagnosis cannot be made without appropriate laboratory testing.
Note: Prawns can appear to have visible white spots for various other reasons, including from being frozen and in most cases, are not due to white spot.
More information on the characteristics of white spot see:
Aquatic Animal Diseases Significant to Australia Identification field guide: White Spot
Who should people contact if they suspect a prawn has white spot?
Biosecurity is a shared responsibility, and everybody plays a part in safeguarding Australia and NSW’s biosecurity, protecting our economy, environment and community and our reputation as a clean and safe producer of healthy seafood.
Any suspicions of white spot should be directed to the Emergency Animal Disease 24-hour Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Why are imported prawns safe to eat but not safe to use as bait?
Imported prawns are processed and packaged for people to eat. They are safe for human consumption and do not harm your health.
However, raw prawns can still carry pathogens like white spot that affect crustaceans but not people, even if they have been frozen. If you use them as bait, these pathogens can spread to wild prawns and crabs. This can damage local fisheries and prawn farms.
To protect NSW waters and prawn farming:
- Never use prawns meant for eating as bait.
- Buy bait from a trusted tackle shop or catch your own locally where allowed.
Why are imported prawns available in Australia?
Imported prawns are allowed under strict national biosecurity rules managed by the Australian Federal Government. These rules are separate from NSW requirements.
If you want to know how prawn imports are controlled or what the conditions are, visit the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website: Prawn imports and biosecurity.