The danger of importing uncooked seafood has been highlighted again by the commercial fishing industry amid concerns about contagious diseases such as white spot.
NSW prawn farmers are in quarantine and euthanasing stock to contain white spot disease as authorities attempt to track and control the spread, after a second outbreak in the state was detected last month.
Tricia Beatty from the Professional Fishermen's Association said she was aware of studies by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation that proved recreational fishermen were using imported prawns as bait.
"They're going to Woolworths and Coles and buying their green prawns there and using it in our waterways," she said.
"There's so many viruses and diseases in uncooked seafood, it's a risk to all of our ecosystems."
Ms Beatty said the industry had been calling for a ban on imported uncooked seafood for 20 years because of the risk of bringing in exotic diseases.
"The Commonwealth Government's always said to us that 'oh, it's a low risk, not many people would do so', but our argument back then was 'you may consider it a low risk but the consequence of this type of situation is enormous'," she said.
"White spot is a pussycat compared to a number of viruses and diseases that are out there on our doorstep, in Asia, that could be potentially brought in through uncooked seafood.
"The Commonwealth Government does check small samples from imports but it's not 100 per cent, it's not every single thing being checked.
"White spot is nothing compared to other diseases that are out there like yellow head which could potentially wipe out our entire platypus population."
More education needed
Recreational Fishing Alliance president Stan Konstantaras said more education was needed about the threat of white spot.
"It's just like human nature, you have a handful of prawns left over after buying some from the supermarket and either they go out for burley or they'll be used for bait," he said.
"We can't say it doesn't happen, of course it happens, so it's coming down to more and more education around the disease and the outbreaks and the impacts to the food chain and the food web, and what they have on the commercial sector."
Mr Konstantaras said buying imported raw prawns from the supermarket, instead of a tackle shop, was more of a convenience rather than a price factor for some recreational anglers.
Compensation wanted
Commercial fishing groups are calling for compensation from the government for those affected by biosecurity measures in place in the Clarence River.
White spot was detected in the region on two prawn farms at Palmers Island near Yamba in February.
The control order restricts the movement of green prawns from the Clarence estuary to prevent the highly contagious viral disease from spreading.
It was first detected in NSW in August, with a second detection on February 12 and a third at a prawn farm last weekend, forcing authorities to extend the control order by another four weeks.
Ms Beatty said the fishermen in the Clarence Valley were finding it difficult.
"A year ago they were doing it tough with La Niña, the floods, the impact of COVID restrictions, everything that was hitting everybody. But then to top it with this situation as well, it's crippling them," she said.
"Going into Easter has normally been a profitable time for our industry and it's been wiped out now. It's really difficult for them."
The Office of the Federal Minister for Agriculture Murray Watt said in a statement that NSW was the lead agency on the outbreak and "they can raise the question of joint compensation with the Federal Government".
NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders said he would do that on Monday.
