Huge shortage of a Christmas favourite looming
An Aussie Christmas lunch wouldn’t be complete without prawns, but experts are warning a looming shortage could drive prices through the roof.
According to Marshall Betzel, president of the Queensland Seafood Marketers Association, prawn supplies are “pretty tight” at the moment, and as we edge closer to Christmas, prices for large sea-caught tiger and king prawns could soar above $40 per kilo.
Betzel claims the “double whammy" of Chinese demand for Aussie prawns and continuing limitations on imports are responsible for the shortage, which unfortunately extends to other favourite shellfish like tropical lobster.
“The overall message is don’t leave it to the last minute to go shopping for seafood for Christmas," he told The Courier-Mail.
“The prudent buyer should be looking at buying prawns today. Prawns snap-frozen on the boat come up a treat when thawed out so you could be buying them and putting them in the freezer until Christmas to make sure you don’t miss out.”
Tell us in the comments below, will you still be getting prawns for your Christmas lunch this year?