Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) has confirmed the agreement of a timetable to resume trade of live Australian lobster back into the mainland China market.
SIA said the decision is "a major win" for some of the Australian seafood industry, for the fishers, the coastal communities that they support, and for Chinese consumers.
"We are proud that our high-quality, safe, and sustainable lobsters will soon be back on Chinese tables," the association said. "We appreciate that officials are still working on tropical rock lobster as it remains on the protected species list. We note that TRL fisheries in the Torres Strait and Queensland have some of the highest sustainability credentials in the world."
In 2022, the Australian seafood industry developed its first “whole of industry” export plan, setting a target to grow the value of Australian seafood exports to $2 billion by 2030. SIA said the news of live trade resuming with China provides hope for achieving this goal and will aid in creating new jobs across regional, remote, and coastal Australia.