Kiwi fishermen to benefit from ban

JOHN HAWKINS/Southland Times

YOU BEAUTY: With South Australia banning the taking of crayfish during October, New Zealand fishermen are likely to be catching more crayfish next month.

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Tasmanian crayfishers say that they fear that New Zealand could capitalise on Australia's predicted rock lobster shortage next month.

After seven years of declining catch rates, the South Australian government has banned fishing during October, and has capped quotas at 1250 tonnes until stocks recover.

Rodney Treloggen, chief executive of the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishermen's Association, said that, traditionally, Tasmanian fishers did not fish in October.

With South Australia also not in-market either, it could lead to a shortage of stock to supply Asian markets.

"The big problem is that New Zealand sits over there, one of our major competitors, they will be taking full advantage of Australian rock lobster not being in that market," he said.

New Zealand crayfisher Malcolm Lawson – chief executive of the CR8 (cray eight) quota group – said that fishermen on this side of the Tasman also did not normally fish in October, but that many would this year.

"When the South Australian fishery starts – generally that's been the start of October each year – our prices do decline, and in the southern part of the country here, most of the fishermen stop fishing at that stage, because it's all about supply and demand," Mr Lawson said.

"When the demand is there from China, prices go up," he added.

- NZPA