00:00 Andrew Laurie used to send up to 95% of the lobster he processes to China, but three years
00:07 ago that trade came to a screeching halt.
00:09 The last three to four years have been very trying.
00:14 The last three years especially so, with no China.
00:18 Like other people in the industry along South Australia's limestone coast, he's hoping lobster
00:22 exports might be the next Australian trade with China to resume.
00:26 But with the local season getting underway, he's not holding his breath for that happening
00:29 any time too soon.
00:31 They can try as hard as they like, but China will do what they want at their own pace.
00:37 I'm confident that in further discussions I'm going to have and at meetings that the
00:43 Prime Minister might have in the coming weeks with his Chinese counterpart, that we can
00:49 resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
00:53 But when, or if, that will lead to a resumption of lobster exports still isn't clear.
00:57 In the meantime, lobster fishers along the coast are heading back out to sea, hoping
01:01 conditions this year could allow for a bumper catch.
01:04 All the signs are pointing towards that the stocks are in good order.
01:09 It's been like that for the last few years and it looks like it's going to be very promising.
01:13 But getting maximum bang for the buck from that catch hinges on the trade with China
01:17 resuming.
01:18 And operators along the coast are now starting another season, unsure of when that market
01:22 might return.
01:23 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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