Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has said that lobster seeds or puerulus are officially prohibited for export, and those caught in the wild is only allowed for domestic cultivation.
“Catching clear lobster seeds (puerulus), or unpigmented lobster, can only be conducted for cultivation in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia,” the ministry’s Secretary General, Antam Novambar, here on Sunday.
He said the capture of the clear lobster puerulus, locally known as benur, needed to take into account the estimation of fish resource potential, the amount of catch allowed, and the number of fish that could be exploited according to the provisions of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, based on recommendations from the National Commission for the Assessment of Fish Resources.
In addition, it must also be based on the quota and location for catching the puerulus set by the minister based on recommendations from the commission.
Furthermore, the capture of puerulus can only be carried out by small fishermen who are registered in the fishing group at the designated fishing locations.
Small fishermen who have not been registered with the Online Single Submission (OSS) Institute can catch the lobster seeds as long as the catch is in accordance with the regulations.
“Small fishermen who catch clear lobster seeds are required to report their catch to the local service for further reporting to the director general who handles capture fisheries technically,” he said.
Previously, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries stated that catching lobster seeds in Indonesian waters could only be carried out by registered small fishermen.
“Capture of clear lobster seeds can only be carried out by small fishermen who are registered in the fishing group at the fishing locations and have been determined by the provincial services,” said Acting Director General of Capture Fisheries at the ministry, Muhammad Zaini.
Zaini also revealed that small fishermen who will catch clear lobster seeds must apply for registration to the Online Single Submission (OSS) Institute, either directly or facilitated by the relevant agency. In addition, catching lobster seeds must also use environmentally friendly fishing gear.
“Catching clear lobster seeds must use environmentally friendly fishing gear in accordance with regulations,” he noted.
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has officially banned the export of obster seeds, in line with the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries’ Regulation Number 17 of 2021 concerning Management of Lobster (Panulirus spp.), Crab (Scylla spp.), and Blue Crab (Portunus spp.) in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia.
“This ministerial regulation is a manifestation of my promise after being sworn in as the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in December 2020. At that time, I had said the clear lobster seeds as one of Indonesia’s marine wealth which should only be cultivated in the territory of Indonesia. Meanwhile, cultivation is also must be carried out in the same province as the location of the capture,” Minister Trenggono remarked.
Through the new regulation, Trenggono hoped all stakeholders involved in cultivating lobster puerulus to be more prosperous and could manage marine wealth based on blue economy.
Source: Antara News