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Australian seafood consumers benefit from SARS.
(Struggling exporters tried to turn back to the
domestic markets, which are shrinking also)
Since April, Australian seafood- lovers found suddenly
the usually sky-rocketing price of seafood in this
season dropped sharply and made a dash to markets.
It's unbelievable. The price of live coral trout has
dropped from 40 Australian dollars (US$24) a killo to
14 (US$8.4). The price of rock lobsters has tumbled
from 35 Australian dollars (US$21) a killo to 10 (
US$6) while the prices of king crab and abalone
dropped around 25 percent also.
It was the godsend for consumers due to the severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) spreading in more
than 20 countries over the world.
Asian markets are the largest consumers of seafood in
the world and the biggest markets of Australia's
seafood. Japan and China's Hong Kong accounted for 1.4
billion Australian dollars ( US$840 million) worth of
Australian seafood exports a year. Now the Asian
markets are disappearing as diners avoid eating out.
Orders from Asia for Australian live fish were
cancelled one by one with new orders out of sight.
Struggling exporters tried to turn back to the
domestic markets, which are shrinking also.
China towns in Australian cities are not as hustling
as before. Chinese restaurants are a bit cheerless.
Although no confirmed SARS case has been found in the
country, people fear accidentally contacting some body
came from Asia.
As a result, seafood markets in Australia are awash
with unwanted lobster, mud-crab, abalone and variety
of live fishes. Fish deteriorate the longer they are
kept in tank. Fishermen warned their businesses are on
the verge of collapse. |
