...why are we not seeing a lot more in the local shops?

My understanding is that, at least in WA, the crayfish stocks were doing really well.
So with the export market facing a downturn due to China, wouldn't it make sense for the industry to sell locally?
I know China pays a premium for the things, but surely selling at a lower price locally makes more sense than halting production? Especially since the pot license holders are still paying for the license fees.

Does anyone know why we aren't seeing more (and more importantly cheaper) crays in the shops?

They changed the quota system a couple of years ago when they realised numbers had recovered well.

Instead of cramming all your quota into a few months they can spread it over the whole year. Hence they only fish when the prices are good.

They'll just wait for the Chinese to remember how much they love crayfish and ride the wave of high prices when the markets reopen.

I live in the Cray capital of WA own 2 cafes one bang on the beach, as a punter I'd have to charge low mid$50 for a full dressed Cray to cover costs, nobody wants to pay that, fishermen have to be getting $50 ish per kg to make it worth going out, not sure if current rules with the chinks has changed as the boys have been out dropping pots flat out at the front of my place, yeh would be nice to get some cheap crays but you'd still be looking at $25 for a middle of the road sized Cray, the industry is a big supporter of our town in general so hoping it all gets back on track

Only a guess but I wonder if you're both right. Some holding off and not fishing, others might have a way to freeze lots and then strike on the asian market as soon as they can

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stoff said..
They changed the quota system a couple of years ago when they realised numbers had recovered well.

Instead of cramming all your quota into a few months they can spread it over the whole year. Hence they only fish when the prices are good.

They'll just wait for the Chinese to remember how much they love crayfish and ride the wave of high prices when the markets reopen.

China market isn't going to reopen until they have depressed the markets and bought out the "locals" cheap. Once they own the means of production they will sell to themselves.

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Rails said..

stoff said..
They changed the quota system a couple of years ago when they realised numbers had recovered well.

Instead of cramming all your quota into a few months they can spread it over the whole year. Hence they only fish when the prices are good.

They'll just wait for the Chinese to remember how much they love crayfish and ride the wave of high prices when the markets reopen.

China market isn't going to reopen until they have depressed the markets and bought out the "locals" cheap. Once they own the means of production they will sell to themselves.

Too true, a tried and true methodology.

This whole topic is just Crayzzz.

My understanding is that due to the market (overseas) paying huge prices for the crays, the pot licenses are sky high, because they can be.
But how long can licensees survive the hold off and wait approach to fishing, if the licenses are so high.

If the market stays depressed long enough due to overseas buying having dropped off for long enough, surely something would have to give.
Some crayfishers could go belly up, license fees could drop due to being unsustainably costly and there would be no choice but to sell to local markets...for hopefully lower prices.

It's always sucked that the best of Aus produce goes overseas due to the OS markets being willing to pay (afford, due to exchange rates etc) more.

The government should support / subsidize the industry and others. They keep banning on about being more self reliant as a country.

Yes OS market is willing to pay more than Aussie consumers with short arms / deep pockets.

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Craig66 said..
The government should support / subsidize the industry and others. They keep banning on about being more self reliant as a country.

Yes OS market is willing to pay more than Aussie consumers with short arms / deep pockets.

Just cause you may be happy and able to afford $50+++ per crayfish, the quality that is sold overseas, doesn't mean the rest of the population has 'deep pockets & short arms'.

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Craig66 said..
The government should support / subsidize the industry and others. They keep banning on about being more self reliant as a country.

Yes OS market is willing to pay more than Aussie consumers with short arms / deep pockets.

Great idea....taxpayers to subsidize crayfish...
They pay for everything else anyway

Woohoo to Bega Cheese leading the way

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Craig66 said..
Woohoo to Bega Cheese leading the way

Are they farming crayfish?

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kiterboy said..
My understanding is that due to the market (overseas) paying huge prices for the crays, the pot licenses are sky high, because they can be.
But how long can licensees survive the hold off and wait approach to fishing, if the licenses are so high.

If the market stays depressed long enough due to overseas buying having dropped off for long enough, surely something would have to give.
Some crayfishers could go belly up, license fees could drop due to being unsustainably costly and there would be no choice but to sell to local markets...for hopefully lower prices.

It's always sucked that the best of Aus produce goes overseas due to the OS markets being willing to pay (afford, due to exchange rates etc) more.

I don't think the license fees are particularly high, pot licenses, as in individual pots are traded much like shares or houses, they are a capital type of investment. So if you own the pots and don't owe the bank too much you would just wait for the market to recover.

That is my understanding of how they work?

What is the problem ? Now is more lobster for all of us.
Now we have even more vine to drink to this dish!

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Craig66 said..
The government should support / subsidize the industry and others. They keep banning on about being more self reliant as a country.

Yes OS market is willing to pay more than Aussie consumers with short arms / deep pockets.

Yeh that's what we need some more crony capitalism.

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Craig66 said..
Woohoo to Bega Cheese leading the way

That's another reason China is annoyed. They had a company willing to pay about $60M more but Frydenberg blocked the deal.

crash the overpriced market then buy back in at a reasonable price.

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Macroscien said..
What is the problem ? Now is more lobster for all of us.
Now we have even more vine to drink to this dish!

Yeah... China can go and get fd... no more awesome Aussie stuff sent there. Agree??

We should up the price of coal.

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Craig66 said..
We should up the price of coal.

Market sets the price of coal, only way to up the price is to stop selling and thereby increase demand, but the market is down already due in part to the Chinese flu and the Chinese have blocked imports of Aussie thermal coal, 70 ships waiting to offload, with aus/US mining companies paying port surcharges every day the coal may be shipped right home. No wonder Scotty is despo to do a deal with the Japanese...
we could stop exports of coking coal unless they also take our thermal and lobsters, wine, milk etc. but we don't really control the companies shipping it out...
technically the shareholders determine export of coking coal, who are they do you think?

All part of a bigger game here. Chinese are forcing Australia's hand with our relationship with the US and turning a diplomatic and political problem into an economic one.

The real question is... Are you (Australia) willing to engage in a relationship with China as you have previously the US and UK?

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Macroscien said..
What is the problem ? Now is more lobster for all of us.
Now we have even more vine to drink to this dish!

Not really, Chinese will pay 80-100 bucks a crayfish and buy bulk. Aussies wont pay that much. Probably $30 a crayfish. Fishermen are going to be pissed doing the same amount of work for 1/3 to a 1/4 of the money. Thats like loosing 63% to 75% of your wage.

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Pugwash said..

Macroscien said..
What is the problem ? Now is more lobster for all of us.
Now we have even more vine to drink to this dish!

Yeah... China can go and get fd... no more awesome Aussie stuff sent there. Agree??

yep, we should eat our lobster ouself, drink all the vine, burn all the coal we dig and make iron for our tanks from our ore. Do we need and cheap electronics and households items? yep, we could always print more our money now.

China is just doing what America has done to all its so called allies for years trade wise. Big eats (replace with the F word) small. Big bullies doing what they need to do based on their own aims. Anyone here want to saddle up to America still? The place is out of control politically and economically. Never been so divided over there. They are a bloody mess.

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eppo said..
China is just doing what America has done to all its so called allies for years trade wise. Big eats (replace with the F word) small. Big bullies doing what they need to do based on their own aims. Anyone here want to saddle up to America still? The place is out of control politically and economically. Never been so divided over there. They are a bloody mess.

I am afraid that you ( and most here and there) missing the point.
China is simply reacting to our request to implement freedom in their country, straighten and shorten their borders, shut down their high tech manufacturing plants with 5G in forefront and pretty much there are not following our demands at all. So far there are we sending warships to their sea not vice verse.
I am afraid we do care more about Muslim in Himalaych being educated by Chinese then our own native people being kept in the poorest of all and prevented from business activity and education. You possibly don't want for China to have a look at our internal matters and rise a voice to start protecting our own people and rights here. That could be much more painful then some economics barriers on sea food and similar excess. Bubble of our superiority in democracy and human rights could bust like a famous SAS.

I wouldnt give a flying F to the Lobster industry going bust (forgot how many years ago I ate one). Same for the expensive booze (I can only afford the cheap shait that doesnt get exported anyway).
Put all your eggs in one basket, guess what you get.

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Tequila ! said..
I wouldnt give a flying F to the Lobster industry going bust (forgot how many years ago I ate one). Same for the expensive booze (I can only afford the cheap shait that doesnt get exported anyway).
Put all your eggs in one basket, guess what you get.

An expensive seafood omelet ??????

With Bega cheese of course

Just kidding

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Tequila ! said..
I wouldnt give a flying F to the Lobster industry going bust (forgot how many years ago I ate one). Same for the expensive booze (I can only afford the cheap shait that doesnt get exported anyway).
Put all your eggs in one basket, guess what you get.

Brother-in-laws brother worked 56 days in 2018 and made $86k as a cray deckie. Skipper was a knob, so he left and went to a bigger boat. 2019 he fished for 23 days to fill the quota and made a bit more money. Don't listen to anyone in the cray industry ever say how hard it is. Anyone met a poor crayfishermen in the last 70 years?

Grew up in Gero, knew heaps of them. Still know a bunch. None are short a Landcruiser.
Punched on with a few deckies in the late 80s/early 90s at the Tavern, Gero and Murch too. Dunno if it's cause I was the d***head or they were! Here's looking at you Kupschy and Morgs.

Russians master chess game,
Chinese GO - even more complex strategy required
What ScoMo favorite game is? Get baseball bat and smash oponent in head? How many moves ahead and consequence foresee our leader? Lobsters and other crabs could be now the least of our worry lists. Every week and every day we have something new on menu cooked by Chinese government. Shouldn't we pause and think for a while ? We can not eat all this

Lobsters, beef , a bit of vine , plenty of barlee , too much for ones table

Macro you are starting to sound like a Chinese spy or at least an influenza.

It is important that Australia finds new markets as the current one doesn't like our products.

I think it's a good wake up call, it is unfortunate for the exporters that are being hit in the hip pocket, but on the whole they will survive, and may even better off without the current client. I'm sure that the Chinese will be happy eating the cockroaches out of the their own paddock.