White spot restrictions in place in Qld

Biosecurity experts in Queensland believe they can stop the ongoing spread of the white spot disease that has crippled the state's multi-million prawn industry.

Chief Biosecurity Officer Dr Jim Thompson on Friday announced a permanent range of measures and restrictions to contain the disease, which first emerged in the Logan River late in 2016.

The temporary ban on moving uncooked prawns out of southeast Queensland has been extended, but raw crabs, lobsters and bugs can now be moved and sold out of the restriction zone.

Fishing has also been banned in nearby waterways to the commercial prawn farms in southeast Queensland and uncooked prawns should not be used as bait.

"The new regulation provides a balance between preventing further outbreaks of the disease and allowing commercial operators to continue to do business where their activities don't pose a risk to the spread of the disease," Dr Thompson said.

The disease does not pose any health risks to humans, but is highly contagious to crustaceans.