ANOTHER successful fishing season will conclude in the South East at the end of this month, with most fishermen having already caught their quota of rock lobster.
After record prices in the 2015/16 season, fishermen had to accept around $20 less per kilogram when the 2016/17 season began last October.
Robe exporter Andrew Lawrie from Sky Seafoods said the lower price was expected because of the records set in the previous season.
“The catching was also sluggish, but the fishermen went straight onto the white lobster again and the market doesn’t want the whites,” Mr Lawrie said.
“They will take them sometimes, but at a reduced price.”
Fishermen soon learnt their lesson and catches improved as the season progressed.
“It got to the stage where January and February were big months and anything we were behind in October to November we were able to catch up,” Mr Lawrie said.
“Consequently, now the season is basically over, the quota is basically done and there are only bits and pieces left.”
Mr Lawrie said some fishermen were still catching their quota after choosing not to fish throughout January with the expectation prices would increase later in the season.
“In the last eight years the price has gone up after Chinese New Year, but this year it didn’t and in the last 15 years it has gone up in March and this year it didn’t,” Mr Lawrie.
“Despite that, without any records being broken, it has still been a pretty successful season – last season just spoiled because the price was just so good that expectations became higher.”
Increased competition from overseas is blamed for the low increase in price.
“There is a lot of fish coming from America, which is the lobster with the pincers and they are less than half the price of ours,” Mr Lawrie said.
“They are alive as well, so they are hitting the same alive market and while ours are premium quality they are also premium price.”
The expectations for next season are similar with Mr Lawrie suggesting the sustainability of the industry has never been better.
“Our quota has been caught reasonably easy, so I don’t think further restrictions need to be put in place, we are well-governed and we are well managed,” Mr Lawrie said.
He said Chinese exports make up 95pc of the market and is the key reason the fishing industry is booming.
“They have got us to where we are now in the last 18 years and we can thank them for the strength of our industry,” Mr Lawrie said.
