Controversy continues to attach itself to the Chinese commercial presence in the region the latest brouhaha arising out of what Antiguan hoteliers and restaurateurs regard as trading practices designed to corner the local lobster market and place the high-priced delicacy beyond the reach of the local consumers.
Stabroek Business has monitored a report from the Antigua Observer website which expresses fears that what it describes as the “incursion by Chinese buyers into the local lobster market” is likely to result in a sharp spike in prices that will place the crustacean beyond the reach of local eating houses and may even deplete stocks in the future. More than that, fingers have been pointed at Chinese restaurateurs operating in Guyana whom, the article says, are “attempting to corner the lobster market by offering local fishermen increased purchase prices and other incentives for their catches.” Local fishermen, so the report says, are being pressed into service by the Guyana-based Chinese businessmen “to consistently fill two 40-ft containers with lobster for export to Guyana.”
The Chinese, according to a source quoted in the Observer report, are reportedly offering the local fishermen as much as fifty cents per pound more than they can expect to receive on the local market and the upshot of that is that the fishermen are simply refusing to sell their catch locally. Night and day, when the boats come in the Chinese jump on the boat and they only want to give us what the Chinese men refuse,” a local hotelier is quoted as saying.
The Antiguan establishments that have reportedly had to either pay much more for lobster or accept what they say are the rejects that the Chinese merchants are not interested in are reportedly far from amused over the matter though there are no reports of any planned official protests over the matter.
Observers are also reportedly concerned over the likelihood that the demand for lobster which has been triggered by the Chinese entry into the market could lead to the rapid depletion of the resource.
