New Zealand’s Live Crayfish Export Industry Is Worth Around $320 Million Annually, Much Of It Sold To China

New Zealand’s live crayfish export industry is worth around $320 million annually, much of it sold to China. But it all came to a shuddering halt when China shut down New Year celebrations and closed restaurants as the coronavirus spread. Lobster Exporters Assn President Andrew Harvey says his company alone took a seven-figure hit because of the shutdown. But the trade is back. Fiordland Lobsters export facility at Rolleston near Christchurch processes 600 tonnes a year or about 700,000 lobsters weighing between 500g and 2kg each. He says things are looking up. A high-end restaurant in Shanghai can charge up to $400/kg for a Fiordland lobster.