Photo taken on Dec. 16, 2019 shows lobster soup offered by Hong Kong Disneyland Resort for 2020 in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Zhu Yuxuan)

 The crackdown by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on smuggled lobsters from Australia is necessary for the national security of China, Hong Kong news outlets reported on Wednesday, citing Hong Kong customs chief Louise Ho Pui-shan.

Ho said that cracking down on smuggled lobsters is safeguarding food security, an important part of national security.

Ho said Hong Kong’s imports of Australian lobsters jumped to 250 tons per month since January 2021 from the usual level of 100 tons a month. A crackdown was launched after the data caused suspicion.

Smuggled lobsters in the Chinese mainland market pose a threat to food security, as they are not subject to inspections from the mainland inspection and quarantine authority. Hong Kong is responsible for safeguarding the entrance of food imports to the mainland, Ho said. 

Hong Kong customs said in a press release on October 15, 2021 that in a joint operation with mainland authorities it had busted three cross-boundary lobster smuggling activities from July to September, seizing a total of 5,300 kilograms of suspected smuggled lobsters from Australia with an estimated market value of about $4.2 million. Authorities also arrested 13 people.

Australian lobsters, along with a number of other goods, have run into trouble in the Chinese mainland market as bilateral ties have been on a downward spiral since 2020. Before, Australia reportedly exported 11,000 tons of live rock lobsters to China a year.