Cape Town - South African fishers are looking for new West Coast Rock Lobster markets after last year's Chinese ban on lobster imports following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic saw a dramatic drop in prices.
Before China halted seafood imports on January 25 last year, fishers could earn R340 a kg for live exported lobster. Shortly after the Chinese ban was declared, the price slipped to under R120 a kg on the domestic market.
Founder and chairperson of the South Africa United Fishing Front (Sauff) Pedro Garcia said: “We are suffering from a severe case of placing all our eggs in one basket, with the basket in this case being China.
“Our fishing communities have been negatively impacted as a result of market closures in China. This is compounded by the fact that West Coast rock lobster (WCRL) has been the mainstay of our income over the last few years.
“Larger companies with the marketing expertise and infrastructure had chosen to focus all their attention on the Chinese market to the extent that more than 90% of South Africa's annual WCRL exports goes to China.
“Unfortunately the bubble has now burst and their reluctance to venture into other global markets has now backfired on everybody, including the small-scale fishers.
“We in Sauff are in the process of turning our attention towards the eastern European bloc for market outlets of high-value species such as WCRL.
“Our people are certainly feeling the pinch and it appears that we once again have to appeal for food parcels as a result of these volatile markets, and also because the long-term impact of Covid19 lockdowns will be with us for a while longer,” said Garcia.
Last year when the Chinese ban began, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (Deff) extended the WCRL season in a bid to support fishers affected by the dramatic drop in exports to China.
This action was taken after both small and larger fishers urged the department to take remedial measures to support the industry, workers and small-scale fishers.
At the time Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy said: “Because the department cannot compensate fishers for their financial losses, we have decided to extend the season in the hope that those most affected by the current drop in sales will have time to make up for their losses.”
Following consultation with the sector last year, Deff decided to extend the near-shore fishery in the Western Cape until June 2020 and the offshore and Northern Cape fisheries until September 2020.
However, Deff spokesperson Zolile Nqayi contradicted Garcia on sales to China and said: “Exports of West Coast Rock Lobster steadily increased through 2020 with exports to China taking place at present. A majority of South Africa’s West Coast Rock Lobster is exported, and preferably exported in a live form to fetch the highest price. It is these prices that the fishers are accustomed to earning for their allocations.”
Nqayi said: “There has been no indication from the West Coast Rock Lobster sector that they require an extension of the 2020-2021 season because of market-related impacts due to Covid-19.”
As for the fishers sourcing new markets Nqayi said: “Marketers of WCRL have the expertise to source markets for their products through established or new networks, and committed to sourcing new markets in February 2020 when the demand for lobster in China declined significantly.”
Cape Argus