A crackdown on imported prawns is set to blow the cost of a traditional Christmas seafood feast out of the water. Biosecurity Australia has warned that some imported prawns carry dangerous pathogens that could spawn new diseases in local prawn stocks. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service is conducting tougher testing, with importers predicting quotas of overseas prawns could be halved by Christmas. While many Australians buy fresh local prawns for Christmas, restaurants and other seafood outlets often use imported seafood in their cooked dishes. With smaller amounts of imported prawns around, restaurant buyers will increase their demand for fresh local prawns which will see prices soar, industry experts say. The Seafood Importers Association says Australia now imports about 29,000 tonnes of prawns from major sources including Thailand, China, Vietnam, India and Malaysia. The Australian wild catch is about 22,000 tonnes and farmed stock is about 3500 tonnes. Seafood Importers Association president Harry Peters said the changes would see about 40 per cent of prawns taken out of the market. ”Will prices rise? Absolutely,” he said. The Sunday Mail (Adelaide), November 18.
Dec 19
