Mozambique will interrupt as from next year the export of prawns to the Asian, European and African markets following the breakout of a disease 'mancha brancana' discovered in 2011 along the Zambezia province basin.

According to an official source from the Ministry of Fisheries, prawns are at high risk of extinction at open sea while the situation is worsening since 2011 when the disease was discovered, the Maputo Newssheet Correio da Manha reports on Thursday.

The disease is responsible for the change of the physical structure of prawns and is also affecting its quality, according to Abilio Candido from the Ministry of Fisheries who added that at the moment they are

cleaning all the tanks to reproduce prawns through aquaculture a system in progress in the country.

Following these changes the authorities are not optimistic about the prediction. They recently announced that prawns would contribute with 12 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the end of this year.

However, Candido said that the country has a number of sea products for exports that will help the ministry accomplish its targets and commitments scheduled with different external markets.

For this year the authorities expect to export 18,000 tons of prawns against 10,000 tons exported last year.

Xinhua