CRAYFISH SURPLUS
Some of the crayfish unable to be exported to China due to the coronavirus outbreak will be returned to the sea.
Between 150 and 180 tonnes of live rock lobster are being held in pots and tanks, at sea and on land, after export orders were cancelled by Chinese distributors.
The Government was asked to help manage the impact on the $320 million industry.
Yesterday, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash said he had agreed that fisheries officials could allow a limited release of rock lobster back into the wild.
‘‘The decision will affect the live crayfish in holding pots at sea, and some held in tanks on land. It means they can be harvested again when the trade disruptions are resolved,’’ he said.
Exports of live rock lobster from New Zealand to China stopped last month as a result of ‘‘dramatically’’ reduced demand due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
Nash said there were a number of concerns to be managed, including potential impacts on the health, welfare and sustainability of the rock lobster fishery, wider biosecurity issues for the marine environment, and the economic impact on local fishing communities and the industry.
Not all rock lobster held in tanks on land would be able to be returned to the sea. Where lobster from different sources had been brought together at processing facilities, officials would consider their release on a case-by-case basis.
The industry would need to find new markets for rock lobster unable to be returned to the sea.
‘‘There are strict rules around the return of rock lobsters to the sea. Officials want to make sure it is done in a way which ensures they are likely to survive and also protects the environment where they are being released,’’ Nash said.
Anyone wanting to release live crayfish would need to provide details to Fisheries New Zealand, and fisheries officers would monitor the return of crayfish to the sea.
‘‘This is an evolving situation and the rock lobster industry is important to the New Zealand economy,’’ Nash said.
A request for a technical change to allow catch entitlements to be carried forward from one fishery year to the next was also being considered.
Seafood, along with flower and fruit exports, has been affected by the sharp reduction in outbound airfreight to China.
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) said the Chinese Government’s decision to prolong the Chinese New Year holiday until February 10 to limit the spread of the virus was definitely having repercussions here.
NZTE’s greater China regional director, Fiona Acheson, said the processing of incoming goods at Chinese ports would not return to normal until next week at the earliest. ‘‘People that would typically be working in logistics in ports are all at home on holiday, which has slowed things right down. It’s very hard to know how long that backlog will take to get cleared.’’
New Zealand companies relying on Chinese-manufactured products and components were also nervous about supply chain issues arising from the longer than usual closure of factories.
Over Chinese New Year there was a mass migration of workers back to their home provinces – often some distance from the factories where they worked – and coronavirus prevention measures could further delay production, Acheson said.