The Australian government is intending to fund 200 flights, to transport hundreds of tonnes of lobsters and other seafood overseas; this will hopefully prevent further stock waste and employee layoff in the seafood sector. These flights will operate to China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UAE.
As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, the COVID-19 outbreak has placed a huge constraint on Australian exporters. Borders around the world stay shut and airlines have trimmed down passenger flights tremendously; shippers are also having a tough time finding cargo space to ship their goods to the final destinations.
“Necessary public health restrictions are already placing massive pressure on business viability and job security; we can’t afford for our farmers, fishers and exporters to be under similar pressure just because they can’t get their goods onto a plane” said Simon Birmingham, the Trade Minister of Australia.
In Western Australia alone, up to 98% of its lobster are exported to China. Now that cities and businesses are opening up after a widespread lock down in China, suppliers are unable to get their shipments into major city centres like Shanghai; as flights are very limited.
According to ABC News, lobster’s processing companies have been negotiating with five airlines to secure a deal for their exporting shipments. They were initially considering to transport the shipments to China via Japan; they were attempting to tap in on existing passenger flight codes that are now grounded but have landings rights.
Now that the government has stepped in, more than AUD $500 million worth of lobsters and AUD $800 worth of seafood are expected to be loaded onto aircraft at Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
On the return flight back to Australia, these aircraft will be loaded with medical supplies and equipment ordered by the Australian authorities.
Featured Image: Sydney Morning Herald
Someone out to do an article on the opportunities here to change the world by changing our habits. This is no time to invest in the Seafood industry (or any animal agriculture industry which has been ravaging the natural world of it’s resources).
It’s also no time to dump billions into the oil industry as Canada is promising to do while Canadian crude oil is now valued at about $4 dollars.
Ideally it’s an opportunity for the world to shift to sustainable ideas and industries away from these harmful practices.
Thanks for sharing with us your idea and thoughts. We certainly advocate environmental sustainability and will continue to explore aviation related content. Just my two cents, I agree that there is an opportunity for the government to implement policies to remove harmful practices. However it is also very dangerous to put a sudden stop on any trade, rather than taking moderate and incremental steps to tackle environmental issues. A sudden cut in a component of a supply chain will have huge implications to all components in that chain.
Please… don’t get the medical supplies from China. So many countries got them and they are defective!!!
Great idea.
Yes food should not be wasted.
A great boost to The Australian economy.
But to China..
They can go to their WET markets and eat all sorts of live, dead animals and creatures.
This Chinese Virus was caused by them .
Great! Let’s keep spreading diseases around the globe. There’s no need for seafood or any other animal products (Not for protein, not for B12, not for calcium, not for iron, not for anything at all). If we don’t learn from COVID-19 that we can avoid human suffering by avoiding animal products, then I just don’t know what it will take.
Absolutely Hector.
Seafood.. a great option.