During a recent media roadshow on July 15, Im Rachna, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, reflected on leading a similar mission to the CAPFISH-Capture: Post-Harvest Fisheries Development project in September 2023. 

While on that trip, she faced criticism for emphasising the achievement of exporting only 45kg of live lobsters to China.

Rachna defended the accomplishment at the time, stating, “It is a first step for Cambodia to export live lobsters. It's a balance, as this type of lobster is expensive.” 

At yesterday’s event, she highlighted, “In 2023, Cambodia [subsequently] exported more than a tonne of live lobsters to China, and in early 2024, Cambodia exported more than two and a half tonnes.”

Despite these successes, she acknowledged the challenges posed by the limited number of lobsters in the wild, which has driven up prices. 

To address this, the ministry plans to encourage farming the crustaceans to balance prices for local supply and export, with China currently being the sole market for Cambodian lobsters.

"We want to ensure food security for our country," she said. "Raising lobsters is one of the initiatives we are studying. We hope that if we can achieve this, we will have enough lobsters to serve both the local and export markets, allowing our people to eat lobsters at a reasonable price."

The growing interest from China in Cambodian fishery products in May 2023 is part of broader trade negotiations between the two countries. 

Live lobsters, eels, elephant fish and snails were approved for export to China in August 2023, according to a social media post by the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh. Supplied

Discussions have included potential exports of 12 types of fishery products, such as fish, snails, eels and freshwater prawns.

Tienit International Trading, a Cambodian firm, plans to export over 1,000kg of live lobsters to China following successful pilot exports last year. 

Initial shipments of 45kg and 105kg demonstrated strong market support, and the company is preparing for six more exports, seeking approval from the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE).

Chea Kimlong, a consultant at Tienit, emphasised the lobsters' popularity in China and the logistical success of maintaining their live condition during transit. The company plans to export around 210kg weekly, depending on supply. 

“The challenge is that when we export successfully, sales increase. When there is high demand from China, our fishermen sell them at a higher price. Since we exported several times in 2023, the price has gone up steadily. When prices grow too high, it hurts our purchasing capacity as they are no longer profitable,” he told The Post earlier this year.

Despite the success, the firm faces challenges in sourcing adequate supplies from fishermen. Rachna emphasised the importance of sustainable practices in exports to protect marine resources.

The ministry reported that the country has exported over 25 tonnes of various fishery and aquaculture products to China, including 14 tonnes of processed trout and 11 tonnes of frozen eels and freshwater shrimp.