Australian rock lobster fishermen are growing increasingly frustrated and uncertain about lingering Chinese government trade restrictions, months after the federal government declared they were on the brink of being lifted.
In late 2020, China’s customs agency blocked live rock lobsters from Australia – citing excessive levels of a heavy metal — as part of a wide-ranging campaign of trade coercion against the Morrison government.
Beijing has since lifted the vast majority of those trade barriers, including hefty tariffs on barley and Australian wine, as the Albanese government has successfully pursued “stabilisation” with China.
But the block on live lobsters remains, despite Trade Minister Don Farrell saying back in June he was “very confident” the issue would be resolved “very quickly”.
And while large quantities of Australian rock lobsters are still making their way into China via “grey” channels — including over the border from Hong Kong — prices have never recovered, putting the industry under a constant squeeze.
This month, fishers in the South Australian Southern Zone, which stretches from the mouth of the Murray River to the Victorian border, started their season.
It is the fourth in a row without trade to China.
“Guys (professional fishers) certainly weren’t overly enthusiastic with getting back fishing,” said Nathan Kimber, executive officer of the South Eastern Professional Fishers Association.
“Every day that we fish and we don’t have that [China] market available to us is disappointing.
“It’s been disappointing for the best part of four seasons now.”
“We were quite hopeful that throughout the off-season there might have been a breakthrough, but unfortunately to date there hasn’t.”
Mr Kimber said pressure was again mounting on the industry, particularly with overhead costs soaring.
Meanwhile, those who depend on the trade for their livelihood have little choice but to wait and watch.
Wholesaler Andrew Ferguson said the industry had been “battling” through the China ban, partly by trying to diversify into markets such as Vietnam and Europe.