By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian seafood exporter yesterday said it expects to receive approval to export live lobsters by air to China before Christmas, adding that this market could ultimately surpass the US as its largest.

Glen Pritchard, Tropic Seafood’s presiden, told Tribune Business the company has had an “excellent” success rate with flying live lobsters into Hong Kong.

“The Asian market  is all about fresh seafood. We’re flying lobsters into Hong Kong right now. The success rate has been excellent. We have a better record than the Americans in terms of the numbers that survive,” said Mr Pritchard.

Prime Minister Perry Christie revealed last week, at the launch of the Bahamas Trade Information Services Portal, that Tropic Seafood was engaged in “major research” on farming lobsters and exporting them via air to China. This nation exports between $55-$80 million annually in lobster.

Mr Pritchard said: “We are working on a couple of things. We are doing some fish experimenting, which is going pretty good. We are trying to get the Bahamas approved to ship direct to China.

“China has got the most people on the face of the earth. We are trying to promote sustainability. The Prime Minister is very big on the sustainability of Bahamian seafood, and we see this, bringing lobsters in whole and live, as a way of promoting sustainability while earning more for Bahamian fishermen.

“When they catch the lobster they kill it, and bring the tails. We hope to convince them to change their methods and bring it in live, and we will fly them into China - Hong Kong right now. We are in the process, too, of getting approved for China. By Christmas, the Bahamas should be approved for China,” Mr Pritchard added.

“Right now we’re experimenting with some fish - Nassau Grouper and yellowtail flounder - to see if it’s feasible to do them on a commercial basis, and some day grow a few million pounds to export. That’s what we are looking at.

“The Government has been very supportive in that regard. They have been working with us. The lobster are a bit difficult; the fish are easier. We have successfully spawned Nassau Grouper and, working with the University of Miami, we have fish in tanks there now live weighing between three to four pounds. It’s all in the experimental phase.”