Exports of live rock lobsters from New Zealand to China stopped last week.

Crayfish no longer destined for the Chinese market could be returned to the sea, Fisheries New Zealand says.

Exports of live rock lobsters from New Zealand to China stopped last week as a result of "dramatically" reduced demand due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

That has left some in the industry with live stock in holding tanks and nowhere to send it.

Fisheries New Zealand director of fisheries management, Stuart Anderson, said officers were working closely with rock lobster fishers and discussing the options with industry leaders.

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"Fishers with rock lobster in ocean containment have been advised to hold them while options are being worked through," he said.

"The option of releasing caught rock lobster back into the ocean is being explored."

Anderson said the length of time rock lobster could be held in tanks varied depending on a factors including the type of tank and the number of rock lobster being held in it.

"Any way forward will need to be balanced against our responsibility to ensure the health and sustainability of our fisheries and the welfare of the lobsters."

New Zealand's commercial crayfish catch is about 2750 tonnes a year. The industry is worth around $320 million a year and directly and indirectly employs 2500 people.

At the country's largest tribal fisheries collective, Iwi Collective Partnership, the focus was on reducing operating costs over the next few months and protecting jobs.

General manager, Maru Samuels, said all fishing had stopped about five days ago and while there was some stock being held, there were "no crayfish climbing over the walls".

"There are still a lot in the water that won't be caught at all. Around the country it would be hundreds of tonnes, possibly 1000 tonnes.

"That's bad from a business point of view but great for the sustainability of the fishery."

SUPPLIED Maru Samuels, general manager of Iwi Collective Partnership, says his priority is protecting jobs.

Iwi Collective Partnership is a limited partner in Port Nicholson Fisheries, which employs more than 20 staff in fishing and processing, Samuels said.

"I can't say how long we could go on before there are jobs at risk but our priority is ensuring our business survives so we can keep employing those people and looking after those families.

"Whether we can catch up on the fishing that we're missing out on now depends on how long the coronavirus lasts. If it's a month or two we could catch up but if it goes on for six months, I'm not sure."

In the meantime, the business would try to expand its existing markets, including Japan and Taiwan, although as neighbours to China, they could be similarly affected, Samuels said.

"This is an issue for the Australian industry as well, we can't just push all of our product into the domestic market, it's just not big enough."

Another option was to freeze some product but that would generate only about a third of the return of sending live export to China.