SE crays fill China market

"The problem is there have been media reports of lobster being $140 per kilogram for Christmas, and that prices are out of control, but the reality is they will be $40 to $50 lower than this," he said.

"A lot of people are looking for other seafood alternatives when they should be shopping around for the best price."

Mr Lawrie manages Sky Seafoods, a business which buys crayfish from the South East fleet which operate off waters from Port MacDonnell to Cape Jaffa.

It has holding tanks at Port MacDonnell and Robe and exports about 95 per cent of its catch live to China. The remaining cray are sold in the Australian market.

Christmas eve is easily the company's biggest sale day, as cooked crays weighing anything from 1-1.5 kilograms to 5kg become prime movers off-shelves.

"Lobster is a luxury food but there is so much meat on them compared to other crustaceans so people love to eat them on special occasions such as Christmas, new year and their birthday," Mr Lawrie he said.

"And the lobsters are so fresh - straight off the boats into the tanks."

He says the lower Australian dollar and the China-Australia free trade agreement have set a positive tone for the industry.

Demand from China is expected to strengthen from now until their new year in mid February.

"It is the Year of the Horse this year. The horse is the strongest in the Chinese zodiac and a red lobster is a symbol for strength compared to white fish," Mr Lawrie said.

"Red is also a lucky colour for the Chinese."

Mr Lawrie says catch-rates have markedly improved this season compared to the past few years, with nearly half the quota - 500 tonnes - filled up in the first two months.

The season runs from the beginning of October to the end of May.