North QLD crabbing industry feeling the pinch
About $45,000 worth of live mudcrabs bound for Sydney seafood markets won’t have the chance to leave the tarmac, with wholesalers worried their livelihoods are at risk.
Townsville
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About $45,000 worth of live mudcrabs bound for Sydney seafood markets won’t leave the tarmac, with wholesalers worried their livelihoods are at risk.
In the last few weeks freight opportunities to transport Burdekin’s commercial crabbers’ catch have dropped, with industry representatives told yesterday that decreased capacity from Virgin Australia and Qantas for airfreight meant they were unable to fly product to Sydney today.
The Queensland Seafood Industry Association were today sending a letter to Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner seeking urgent support.
According to the letter, Virgin Australia had no flights from Townsville for airfreight while Qantas was not prioritising perishable goods.
More than 1.5 tonnes of live mudcrabs were bound for Sydney from 12 commercial crabbers in the district, with Bowen fishers now having to drive their livestock to Cairns where it can then be taken by air to Sydney.
Robert Hutton, who transports the Burdekin’s commercial mudcrab catch to Townsville, said that seafood prices had increased last week with demand also high.
“We’ve got crabs to send (today) but we don’t know whether we can send them,” he said.
Mr Hutton said fishers had been offered the option of road freight to Brisbane with product then flown to Sydney, but 20 hours on the road “the product is not going to be as good”.
Burdekin MP Dale Last said a solution was needed now, with the potential for impacts to be felt in a number of regional areas.
“I’ve raised the matter with Minister Furner and, if need be, it is a matter that will be raised at the National Cabinet because it has effects throughout the nation,” Mr Last said.
“There is a huge potential impact for the economy in a lot of regional areas as well as food security issues, so it’s really just a case of needing co-operation to find a solution.
“It’s ironic that just months ago we had commercial fishers and the Queensland Government at loggerheads and, now, we all need to work together.
“If there is a positive to come out of this, I would hope damaged relationships can be mended so that, when the pandemic is over, the fisheries industry can move forward.”
Originally published as North QLD crabbing industry feeling the pinch