Around 60 tons of Australian lobsters were illegally smuggled into China from Taiwan between September and November last year. The total value of the delicacy is estimated to exceed NT$100 million (US$3.3 million). That came from DPP legislators Hung Shen-han (洪申翰) and Lii Wen (李問) at a press conference on Wednesday.
Lii brought the situation to light in November last year, when he received a tip from citizens about unregistered shipments of lobsters on cargo flights to Matsu. He says local government officials may have secretly allowed this to happen. He also blames the coast guard for inaction.
Hung says this situation is the result of China's ban on Australian lobsters since the beginning of 2020. The delicacy is still in high demand, so it is now smuggled in through Taiwan's outlying islands, like Matsu.
Lii says the Matsu coast guard's early reports were dismissed by the authorities. He says that some officials may be benefitting from the lucrative lobster smuggling.
Hung says lobster smuggling may also be happening on other outlying islands. He calls on the coast guard to enforce the law more strictly.
