There has been a surge in the import volume of Australian lobsters to Hong Kong following China's imposition of an unofficial ban last year.
Against the backdrop of trade sanctions on Australian lobsters, smugglers have been caught trying to take nearly 2,000 kilograms of live lobster and sea cucumber into China.An increasing number of Australian lobster fishers are sending sanctioned goods to China via Hong KongHong Kong Customs officials said they seized 890 kilograms of live lobsters and 930 kilograms of sea cucumbers, with a total estimated value of 10 million Hong Kong dollars .
Two men aged 40 and 45 suspected to be connected to the case were also arrested, the statement added. Lui Siu-fai, the divisional commander of the city's Syndicate Crimes Investigation Bureau, said the origin of the smuggled goods was still under investigation and the boxes were not labelled with a country of origin.The seized contraband was found aboard a double-engined speedboat trying to leave a harbour on the south of Hong Kong Island under the cover of darkness, he said.
Lobsters are considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, and China had previously accounted for over 90 per cent of Australia's lobster exports. But that changed in 2020, when diplomatic tensions saw Beijing impose a series of unofficial trade hurdles on Australian produce.
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