Allegations of evasion of Australia’s strict biosecurity protocols have raised the concerns of the prawn industry.

The devastating White Spot Disease is claimed to have been detected in prawns on supermarket shelves, despite heightened import restrictions.

The Agriculture Department has dismissed one series of retail testing from the University of the Sunshine Coast, claiming results were not subjected to the enhanced protocols.

However, new testing commissioned by the peak industry body has found the disease present in the Gold Coast.

The disease has devastated the industry, with seven farms still out of production and in quarantine, after it was first detected in December 2016.

Rural reporter Eddie Summerfield caught up with Australian Prawn Farmers Executive Officer Kim Hooper

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