Restaurants warned against buying high-value seafood from suppliers at prices that are too good to be true

Demand for crayfish is soaring at restaurants during the Lunar New Year festive season.

The Ministry for Primary Industries is warning people and businesses against falling for the temptation of buying seafood from suppliers selling them at prices that seem too good to be true.

This comes as New Zealand fishery officers increase their scrutiny of restaurants with premium seafood and live seafood tanks. One is currently being investigated over an issue of non-compliance.

In the lead-up to the Lunar New Year festive season, 45 Dealer in Fish (DIF) inspections were done in the Auckland region through January and February at restaurants that supply high-value species such as crayfish and abalone.

Under the Chinese zodiac calendar, the Year of the Dragon started on February 10 and is being celebrated for 15 days through to February 24, and many restaurants are offering special menus that include “lucky food” to ring in the new year.

Fishery officers doing their inspection rounds at restaurants in the Auckland CBD.

Demand for crayfish is higher than normal because it is called long xia in Mandarin or loong har in Cantonese, which translates to “dragon prawn”, and is seen as a status symbol and a must-have at festive dinners celebrating the Dragon Year.

A Chinese restaurant chef told the Herald that it is also considered lucky because the crayfish turns red when cooked and red is considered in lucky colour.

The Herald has been told that crayfish are being sold through a WeChat social media group for $88 per kg and abalone, mostly undersized, were also being offered at a fraction of the market price.

Fisheries New Zealand regional manager fisheries compliance Andre Espinoza is warning restaurant owners about being tempted by these offers.

Demand for live crayfish soar at restaurants during the Lunar New Year festive season.

“We would remind all retailers not to be tempted to purchase seafood from a supplier offering seafood at a price that appears too good to be true,” Espinoza said.

“It is likely that any seafood being offered at a fraction of the market standard price may have been illegally harvested and purchasing this seafood to supply customers will make you subject to investigation.”

Espinoza said Fisheries conducted DIF inspections all year round at a wide range of restaurants that supply high-value species such as crayfish and abalone (pāua) to ensure the seafood was obtained through legitimate suppliers. This also includes inspections at local fish and chips shops.

“We found one issue of non-compliance which is under investigation,” he said.

Espinoza said the inspections were routine compliance work and “most restaurants expect our visit during the year, particularly at times when a lot of fish is being sold”.

“Our inspections are an important way of protecting the integrity and sustainability of our fisheries management system, by creating a deterrent and holding those to account who participate in illegal, unreported, and unregulated activity within the fishing sector,” he added.

Gary Wright, Fisheries Surveillance Officer, with a haul of mostly undersized paua. Photo / File