Crayfish prices plummet to $31 at Melbourne markets and prawns set to follow
Prahran, South Melbourne and Dandenong markets have slashed seafood prices as stock piles up after China shut its markets, with some dropping prices by $60. But supplies will soon dry up, with fishmongers revealing why.
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With the supply chain for Victoria’s $30 million rock lobster industry at “an abrupt halt” during the coronavirus outbreak, Melbourne’s fishmongers are slashing prices.
Prahran, South Melbourne and Dandenong markets are selling the crustacean for significantly less because markets in China, which usually bulk buy the crayfish, are shut as the coronavirus crisis grows.
And some Melbourne restaurants with largely Chinese customers aren’t buying as diners stay home.
At Prahran Market, Claringbolds Seafood owner Peter Megas said crayfish prices had dropped by $60 in the past few days.
“We’re now selling them for $99 a kilo compared to $159 a kilo at Christmas,” he said.
But he warned while suppliers’ tanks were full now, that wouldn’t last.
“They’ve stopped fishing so as soon as those tanks are empty, our source of cheaper crays will dry up. It will take a couple of weeks for that to happen.”
Mr Megas said some of his Asian clients in Box Hill weren’t buying at all at the moment.
The normally bustling food precinct has been compared to a ghost town and traders say business had dropped by 50 per cent.
Dandenong Market general manager Jennifer Hibbs said seafood supply was exceeding demand and fishmongers were being offered cheaper prices by wholesalers.
“Our fishmongers pass any price fluctuations onto the customer anyway – we just hope to be able to continue supplying the varieties of seafood they’re after,” Ms Hibbs said.
She said Asian chefs were buying less because trade was quieter but “other restaurants such as Italian cuisine are just as busy”.
On Friday Dandenong Market fishmongers were selling crayfish for $89 a kilo.
Prawns were also a bargain at just $17.99 a kilo for wild caught tiger prawns and $19.99 a kilo for Lakes Entrance King Prawns.
However, at South Melbourne Market, a spokesman for Aptus Seafood said prices regularly fluctuated depending on availability from the wholesaler.
“It has nothing to do with that virus,” she said.
When the Leader visited South Melbourne Market, Aptus was selling cooked crayfish for $88 a kilo.
A nearby stall South Melbourne Seafoods was selling for $110 a kilo – or about $31 for half a cooked crayfish.
Victoria Fisheries Authority director of policy, licensing, management and science Dallas D’Silva said the supply chain for the state’s rock lobster industry had come to “an abrupt halt”.
“Tonnes of lobsters that would normally be exported to China, are being held in sea cages and in processing facilities across southeast Australia,” he said.
He said the VFA was supporting the industry by allowing carry over of uncaught quota into the next season, which begins on July 1.
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The fishery is quota managed, with a total allowable commercial catch set annually.
Lobsters are commonly held at sea in special cages before processing and the VFA has issued urgent approvals for operators to increase the numbers being stored.
The Authority is also supporting the return of the lobsters to the wild.
Mr D’Silva said there was still 100 tonnes of Victorian lobster able to be caught under the 2019/2020 quota which expires on June 30.