White spot
I'm bloody angry, I have just read a half page spread in my local paper about the threat of white spot disease spreading to cru stations in WA and the threat of such an event happening.
The message the article was putting out was that fisheries where requesting all anglers to take care in what they were using for bait, and to give imported raw prawns a big miss so as to reduce the possibility of white spot disease getting into our fisheries with the devastating results that would follow.
Now at fist read this seems like a good thing to put out to the community as fishos are the last line of defence against the introduction of this disease getting into our waters. As they are the last chance this disease will be discovered, i.e. when you shell the imported prawn and put it on the hook or don't shell it such as may be the case.
I have seen a few articles on TV and other media about the devastating effect this disease has had on the prawn farming industry in Qld and it has certainly put a few of these guys on the bones of their bum.
When it was first discovered in imported prawns a ban was put on the importation of these prawns for 6 months, that ban has now been lifted.
I'm absolutely "miffed" that this situation has been allowed to come about, what has happened to the first line of defence against the importation of dangerous food or other stuff into Australia.
We have a specific government body whose job it is is to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen, so just how has this sad situation come to pass. My money is on the following scenario,
Papers covering the importation of these uncooked prawns is forwarded by the importer, some where in the wad of paper work is a document stating the all the required quality checks against these prawns having disease have been complied with and all are ok, "trust me" yeah right.
So all the ticks are in the right boxes everything is ok no need to have a random sample taken for an eyeball examination. Quality disease free prawns are guaranteed.
The head shed of these government agencies are paid a very good dollar to make sure infestations and disease don't get into the country, it appears to me that they seek the very easy road to doing there job by accepting if the ticks are in the right box on the relevant QA form then all is ok, this attitude has allowed White Spot to get into Australia and we are all going to pay for their lack of commitment one way or another.
WA gov has spent a good bit of money trying to get the Swan River prawn back on peoples menu again it would be a bloody tragedy if White Spot gets into the Swan River system and kills this project off before it can get fully established.
I would like to see a ban placed permanently on the importation of all foreign crustations
Full stop
carnarvonite
Posts: 8627
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Spot on
Pro fishers over east are up in arms over the introduction of white spot disease, not only has it wiped out prawn farms but escaped into the local rivers and inshore waters killing millions of prawns yet our brilliant pricks in Govt have dropped the ban and allowed raw prawns to be imported again
Meeuwissen
Posts: 744
Date Joined: 29/03/13
I agree it's not worth the risk
If we stopped exporting everything we caught and importing the shot stuff it be for the better. They run out of prawns at the shark bay pub due to a shortage.
Down the Line
Catch the Experience
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
not good news at all . all
not good news at all . all buyers should just boycott the imported stuff like that
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
TF in DZ
Posts: 48
Date Joined: 06/01/17
Too Right
Not sure how to lobby local pollies but even something like this can keep it on the agenda
https://www.change.org/p/barnaby-joyce-stop-white-spot-spreading-in-australia
Doc
Posts: 691
Date Joined: 29/05/16
we have been getting live
we have been getting live prawns for bait and we have had a visit from qld fisheries who have educated us pretty well on this. Have to report if we get any with this white spot. Has the potential to impact on a huge industry.
NORUN NOFUN
Posts: 1018
Date Joined: 15/08/11
I was talking to a mate of
I was talking to a mate of mine who works for the NSW govt who has had alot to do with the white spot.
A certain bait supplier in northern NSW caught repackaging banned prawns from Qld with the intention to resell all over Australia.
All the hard work done to identify, stop, sieze.
What happened to bait supplier - NOTHING, not even a fine.
He may have lost $300 grand in bait, but no charges, no fines, no loss of licence - even he has lost faith !
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
I simply don't understand why
I simply don't understand why we import product to compete with a natural resource already farmed here. Its like importing beef or lamb, it just doesn't make sense.
scubafish
Posts: 949
Date Joined: 15/08/12
$$$$$
They do it with everything ,our good stuff goes out of the country for top dollar and crap comes in cheap.
http://img.gg/BQ91Sys
carnarvonite
Posts: 8627
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Costs
Only have to look in our backyards to see the risks with the two major prawning companies here in the West freezing their catch, sending it overseas for processing then bringing it back in for sale here. Their processing factories shut down completely.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
What is that right
How the hell can it be cheaper to export a frozen catch from Australia, then get it processed off shore and then import it. That doesn't make sense you have the cost of export, the cost of processing then the cost of importation.
And don't tell me, let me guess, it's marketed as product of Australia.
The world has gone bloody mad.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17861
Date Joined: 11/03/08
the biggest thing is the
the biggest thing is the almighty dollar. wages have gone up , gas has gone up , electricity has gone up , insurance has gone up but freight overseas has stayed the same for a while and wages and other costs overseas are a damn site less than here. so in the long run for producers weather it be meat , fish or prawns it is cheaper to send in bulk and processed and packed then shipped back over here
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Cheeto
Posts: 79
Date Joined: 14/04/14
imports
I grow flowers for a living and i can (from first hand experience) tell you there are two MAJOR problems going on in Australia. First is its just to expensive to manufacture anythng here, the sales prices keep going down due to cometition form imports and cheap crap, but costs all keep risisng. for all growers/breeders/farmers it will come to a point where costs are higher than revinue and nothing will be made here anymore. im not tlaking cars, im talking perishables.
Second part of hte problem is all the cheap imports are bringing in things we dont have, and our local governments are not dooing close to enough to stop it. for us, we have cometition form import flowers, A LOT! and we cant compete on price too well, but we have the advantage that our product is locally grown and a better quality and better vase life. the things i need to go through to get my start material in the country is very very strict, no problem it keeps pest and diesase out. BUT the import flwoers are coming in with all sorts of stuff (potentially), and the lax attitude means one day we will have more problems that we have now. Government logic means its all going to be too late before things change, focus is on the wrong part of the puzzle.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8627
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Quality
Depends on quality, bought some roses from a florist in Gero a month back, lasted 24 hours before they wilted, my thought was that they had been frozen? and thawed but I know now where not to purchase them from
hezzy
Posts: 1519
Date Joined: 27/11/09
can see your point bizkit
can see your point bizkit ..... apologies as i have contributed to the problem quite likly recently without thinking too much about it
having bought a doz long stem red roses last week for wife , cost was $29.99 for the doz and a bunch of red pioniies again only $26 both imported i believe from belgium flown here then shipped from melbourne to wa ??
such is the global market place & world trade australia does the same thing with much of our produce etc
hezzy
OFW 11
evil flourishes when good men do nothing
Cheeto
Posts: 79
Date Joined: 14/04/14
guys, i didnt mention it for
guys, i didnt mention it for my benefit, just that its a much bigger problem than prawns, seafood and white spot. (plus trust me ive got enough mates whom openly tell me i'll go broke if i rely on their flower purchasing nature)
as with seafood, fruit and veg, (and flowers) ask where they came from. with a bit of luck your reatailer will be able to qantify their puirchase and not bullshit you. Carnavonite, we do have a florist customer in Gero, but im not sure if htey buy our roses. i can bloodywell bet you mine will last longer than 24 hrs though mate!
just as an interesing fact, all import flowers are dipped in glyphosate to make them non propagatable. for those not in the know they spend 20 minutes imersed in week killer :) that'll fuck your vase life most days....