NOW FROM CBS4 NEWS .
GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE
SPECIAL EDITION OF FACING SOUTH
FLORIDA.
SOUTH FLORIDA HAS AN ABUNDANCE
OF SEAFOOD.
SNOW CRABS, FISH, EVEN LIONFISH
IT'S PROVING TO BE A NEW
DELICACY.
PERHAPS THE MOST BELOVED
SEAFOOD OF ALL IS THE FLORIDA'S
LOBSTER.
CHANCES ARE THAT THE FLORIDA
LOBSTER THAT YOU THINK YOU ARE
EATING DID NOT COME FROM THE
WATERS AROUND FLORIDA.
THIS IS BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF
FLORIDA'S LOBSTERS ARE NOT JUST
FROM OUT OF FLORIDA BUT FROM
OUT OF THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
THIS MORNING THEY STATED THAT
THE LOBSTER HAS AN IMPACT HERE
AT HOME.
IN ORDER TO WHAT'S APPRECIATING
THAT'S HAPPENING YOU NEED TO
TRAVEL THOUSANDS OF MILES IN
THE FLORIDA KEYS TO A COUNTRY
REDEFINING FLORIDA'S LOBSTER
TRADE.
AND SO WE BEGIN THIS STORY IN
CHINA.
IN AN UPSCALE PORTION OF
HONG KONG, THE BOAT DWELLERS
SPECIALIST RESTAURANT IS
RENOWNED FOR ITS SLIDE SEAFOOD.
TAKE -- THEY SHOWCASE THE ITEMS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
FEW ITEMS ARE LIKELY TO CAPTURE
A DINERS ATTENTION OR HAVE THE
APPEAL OF FLORIDA'S SPINY
LOBSTER.
WITH ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING
ECONOMIES AND THE EXPLODING
MIDDLE CLASS THAT EXTENDS TO
THE MAINLAND, THE CHINESE HAVE
DEVELOPED A TASTE FOR THE
BETTER THINGS IN LIFE.
FLORIDA LOBSTER IS SURELY ONE
OF THEM.
IN CHINA LOBSTER IS NOT JUST
SERVED.
IT IS SHOWCASED FROM THE
ARRIVAL OF THE SPINY LOBSTER,
IT'S AN EVENT WORTH
DOCUMENTING.
FOR THE LOBSTER, THIS WAS THE
CULMINATION OF THE 9000 MILE
JOURNEY.
A JOURNEY THAT IN RECENT YEARS
HAS TRANSFORMED THE COMMERCIAL
FISHING INDUSTRY IN FLORIDA.
AND WITH RESTAURANTS FROM KEY
WEST TO MIAMI STRUGGLING TO
KEEP THE WATER LOBSTER ON THE
MENU.
A FEW DAYS AGO THE LOBSTER IN
HONG KONG WAS HERE. IN THE
WATERS OFF OF THE FLORIDA KEYS.
WE ARE OUT HERE ON THE REEF
IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY.
WE HAD SOME TROUTS RELEASED
AFTER THE HURRICANE. GARY
NICHOLS OPERATES A PAIR OF
LOBSTER BOATS JUST OUTSIDE OF
MARATHON.
HE HAS BEEN CATCHING LOBSTER
FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. WE
ARE COMING UP ON SHINY NEW YEAR
-- ON CHINESE NEW YEAR AND THE
PRICE OF LOBSTER IS WAY UP
THERE. THANKS TO THE CHINESE
THESE ARE GOOD DAYS TO BE A
LOBSTER FISHERMAN IN FLORIDA.
PRICES IN RECENT YEARS RANGE
ANYWHERE FROM 10-$24 A POUND.
THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
I FIRST MET NICHOLS IN 2009.
BEFORE THE CHINESE CAME INTO
THE MARKET.
AT THAT TIME, THE PRICES FOR
LOBSTER HAD PLUMMETED TO THREE
DOLLARS PER POUND.
NICHOLS WAS STRUGGLING TO KEEP
HIS VOTES ON THE WATER.
WHEN YOU COULD BUY LOBSTER
FOR CHEAPER THAN A HAMBURGER
IT'S JUST INSANITY. HE TOLD
ME IN 2009 HE WAS LOSING MONEY.
HE NEEDED TO REACH FOUR DOLLARS
TO BREAK EVEN. I'M DOING
EVERYTHING I KNOW HOW AND IT'S
NOT WORKING OUT. DESPERATE TO
STAY AFLOAT HE SAID HE GOT THE
IDEA OF CONTACTING CHINESE
BUYERS AFTER SEEING AN ARTICLE
IN THE TRADE MAGAZINE. I
HAPPEN TO READ READING THE
NATIONAL MAGAZINE AND SAW A
CHINESE PERSON, HE WAS BUYING
SPINY AND HORSE SHOE CRABS AT
THE TIME.
I THOUGHT MAYBE THIS GUY, I
WOULD GIVE HIM A CALL. HE
EVENTUALLY INTRODUCED HIM TO
THIS MAN, LARRY. HOW ARE YOU
DOING?
THIS IS THE GUY I HAD BEEN
TELLING YOU ABOUT.
THE BIGGEST LOBSTER BUYER IN
THE UNITED STATES. Reporter:
BORN IN CHINA HE IS A US
CITIZEN AND OPERATE A SEAFOOD
SHIPPING BUSINESS IN NEW
YORK. DID YOU THINK IT WAS
CRAZY WHEN HE SUGGESTED IT? I
MEAN HE WAS THE GUY WHO HAD
GIVEN IT A TRY.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
NOW WE TURN THIS INTO A
FISHERY.
GUESS WHAT?
THE AMERICAN FISHERY IT'S BEEN
SO SUCCESSFUL WITH SHIPPING,
THESE LOBSTERS, NOW THE WHOLE
CARIBBEAN IS TRYING TO COPYCAT
US. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE
CHINESE LOVE FLORIDA'S SPINY
LOBSTER PREFERRING IT TO THE
MAIN LOBSTER THAT MOST
AMERICANS ARE USED TO. IN
CHINA THIS IS LOBSTER.
THE CANADIANS, MAINE, VOICED IN
-- BOSTON THAT'S KOI FISH.
HE NOW BUYS LOBSTER FOR MORE
THAN 100 BOAT CAPTAINS FROM KEY
LARGO TO KEY WEST. THAT
LOBSTER RIGHT THERE THAT HE'S
HOLDING, WHEN WOULD THAT
LOBSTER BE IN CHINA? TWO DAYS.
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT.
I MEAN, I CAME HERE AT THE
RIGHT TIME. Reporter: HIS
COMPETITORS IN CHINA SOON
FOLLOWED.
THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE OTHER
COMPANIES BUYING AS MUCH
FLORIDA LOBSTER AS THEY COULD
GET THEIR HANDS ON.
SHIPPING THEN ENLARGE TO CHINA.
THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING.
STARTING IN 2000, JUST 32,000
POUNDS OF FLORIDA LOBSTER WAS
SHIPPED TO CHINA.
WITH EXPORTS REMAINING FLAT
UNTIL 2010 WHEN THE CHINESE
MARKET FOR FLORIDA LOBSTERS
EXPLODED BY 2013 NEARLY 4
MILLION POUNDS OF LOBSTER WAS
BEING SENT FROM FLORIDA TO
CHINA.
IN TERMS OF DOLLARS FLORIDA
LOBSTER EXPLODED IN RECENT
YEARS RANGING FROM 50 T-$75
MILLION PER YEAR.
AFTER YEARS OF STRUGGLING TO
SURVIVE THE LOBSTER FISHERMAN
HAVE BEEN SECURE.
THING GOD FOR THE CHINESE,
EVERYONE, WE SURE GOT A LOT OF
THINGS FROM CHINA.
IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE CHINESE
RIGHT NOW I WOULD BE GETTING
THREE DOLLARS-4 DOLLARS PER
POUND FOR LOBSTER INSTEAD OF
$12-13 PER POUND FOR LOBSTER.
SO THIS COMING YEAR IS THE YEAR
OF THE DOG, CORRECT?
CORRECT. IT'S THE YEAR OF THE
LOBSTER.
YES.
Reporter: NOT EVERYONE IS
CELEBRATING THE NEW GLOBAL
REALITY. THE WORD SPREAD LIKE
WILDFIRE AND THEIR BUDGET CAME
DOWN.
IT WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE
OFFERING ASTRONOMICAL PRICES
YOU KNOW, TO THE FISHERMAN.
AND BASICALLY GOING DOWN
BUSTERS.
Reporter: MANWELL HAS BEEN
IN THE LOBSTER BUSINESS SINCE
1993.
HE SAYS IT'S THE BUSINESS HIS
FATHER STARTED ON THE MIAMI
RIVER IN THE EARLY 70S. FOR
SOMEONE WHO GOES TO A
RESTAURANT IN MIAMI, THEY CAN'T
BUY A FLORIDA LOBSTER, I DON'T
THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
BACK IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE
LOBSTERS THEY SENT TO CHINA
MANY RESTAURANTS ARE HAVING TO
BUY FLOWS AND LOBSTER TAILS
FROM COUNTRIES LIKE NICARAGUA,
HONDURAS, AND THE BAHAMAS.
AND EVEN WHEN FLORIDA LOBSTER
IS AVAILABLE THE CHINESE HAVE
DRIVEN UP THE PRICES TO THE
POINT THAT MANY LOCAL
RESTAURANTS ARE STILL BUYING
IMPORTED FROZEN LOBSTER. A
LOT OF THESE RESTAURANTS YOU GO
OUT TO, THEY SELL TO TOURIST ON
THE FACT THAT IT'S A FLORIDA
LOBSTER.
IT'S NOT.
IT'S THE SAME SPECIES OF
LOBSTER SO IT LOOKS EXACTLY THE
SAME VIA MODULE -- BY AND LARGE.
YOUR VIEWERS TODAY KNOW THAT
THAT IS NOT FLORIDA LOBSTER.
THE FLORIDA LOBSTER IS BEING
SOLD IN RESTAURANTS AND
SUPERMARKETS HERE IN FLORIDA.
BUT ALL OF THEM GO TO CHINA,
THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
Reporter: HE'S EXAGGERATING OF
COURSE BUT IT'S GROWING MORE
DIFFICULT.
IN 2013 FOR INSTANCE, THREE OUT
OF EVERY FOUR LOBSTERS CAUGHT
IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WAS SHIPPED
OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
THE RUNNING MAJORITY OF IT
GOING STRAIGHT TO CHINA.
WHILE PATRONS OF THIS
RESTAURANT IN HONG KONG WERE
ENJOYING THEIR LOBSTER MEAL,
LUIS GARCIA HAD TO TAKE FLORIDA
LOBSTER OFF OF HIS LUNCHTIME
MENU AT GARCIA'S RESTAURANT ON
THE MIAMI RIVER.
IT HAD DISRUPTED OUR LOCAL
ECONOMY.
IS SUCH A FORCE THAT TODAY I
DON'T HAVE LOBSTER.
Reporter: TODAY YOU DON'T
HAVE ANY? SAID TODAY -- SINCE
TODAY, RIGHT NOW.
Reporter: GARCIA IS LUCKY
THOUGH, IN ADDITION TO THE
RESTAURANT HIS FAMILY HAS A
SMALL FISHING OPERATION WITH
PERMITS TO CATCH LOBSTER. THE
TWO BOATS ARE PULLING TRAPS AS
WE SPEAK.
HE'S HOPING TO CATCH ENOUGH
LOBSTER BY DECEIVING THAT HE
COULD PUT FLORIDA LOBSTER ON
THE MENU. I'VE HAD TO TELL
PEOPLE I DON'T HAVE LOBSTER, I
MEAN I HAVE LOBSTER.
IT'S STUFF THAT I BOUGHT FROM
NICARAGUA.
I FEEL HORRIBLE.
Reporter: IT'S NO DIFFERENT
IN KEY WEST. IT'S DIFFICULT
FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
Reporter: RICK JOYCE IS THE
MANAGER FOR THE FISH MARKET.
NOT ENOUGH PRODUCT. THE
LOBSTER TAILS.
IF WE GO FISHING RIGHT NOW WHAT
AM I GOING TO FIND?
YOU PROBABLY FIND THE
LOBSTER TAIL WE HAD TO BUY
FROZEN.
FROM NICARAGUA? THAT'S THE
ONE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S FROM FLORIDA IN NICARAGUA
BUT YOU WANT LOBSTER.
YOU COME IN TO KEY WEST AND YOU
WANT TO SPINY LOBSTER, SO WE
CAN'T GET AS MANY AS WE NEED.
SO WE GOT A GO GET LOBSTER FROM
ANOTHER PLACE. WHAT IS IT
SAFE YOU'VE GOT TO GO GET IT
FROM OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY?
THIS ONLY HAPPENED IN THE
LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS.
WE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH
LOBSTER EVER. IT'S LOBSTER
SEASON.
THERE WAS PLENTY OF LOBSTER.
Reporter: HE DOESN'T BLAME THE
FISHERMAN.
I'M NOT GOING TO BLAME THESE
GUYS YOU BETTER GET WHAT YOU
CAN.
IT'S THEIR LIVELIHOOD BUT IT
HURTS ON THIS AND.
IT DOES.
Reporter: WHEN WE RETURN WE
TAKE YOU TO THE RIVERS OFF OF