Christmas crayfish tails selling for $100

AUSTRALIA – Overindulgence is in keeping with many Christmas celebrations, but eye-popping retail prices for lobster in Australia could mean it is a luxury that is out of reach for many people this festive season.

Adelaide firm Ferguson Australia exports southern rock lobster but also has a small retail area at its Hendon premises, where it has cooked lobsters for sale.

Some of the finest specimens this Christmas have a price tag of $197, significantly higher than last year.

Despite that, managing director Andrew Ferguson said he still could not keep up demand both from local and overseas customers.

“We can sell as much lobster as we can get, mainly into the export market,” he said.

“The South Australian lobster is probably the highest-priced lobster in the world into the Chinese market.”

Lobster tails are selling online for $140 per kilogram and frozen whole lobsters at $90 per kilo.

Another firm Cappo Seafood is selling lobster tails for $100 and quotes its whole lobsters as “price on application”.

Ferguson said 97 per cent of the southern rock lobster caught in local waters was now exported, most of it to China.

“The Chinese love their live lobster, they love live abalone and other seafood, so it’s certainly a great market on our doorstep for our produce,” he said.

He said free trade deals and direct Adelaide-China air services would be likely to fuel export demand further.

- ABC