Jakarta, (Antara) - Indonesia has banned exports of baby lobsters with regard to protecting sustainability of biodiversity stocks in the country's waters, minister of fisheries and marine affairs Susi Pudjiastuti said.
She said in a press statement received here on Saturday the ban was also aimed at increasing the added economic value through exports of adult lobsters which are worth much more than baby lobsters.
"(Unless we do it) it is not impossible Indonesia will later have to import lobsters. There have now been sayings that Indonesian people are unable to eat lobsters because they are too expensive to buy for them. A kilogram of lobster is now worth Rp1 million while the green one is Rp500,000 while the meat to enjoy is only 50 percent of the size of the lobster," the minister said.
In view of that many people think they would eat chicken or fish which are cheaper rather than lobster, she added.
She explained if baby lobsters are continuously exploited the species could extinct from Indonesian waters.
Starting this year until February 22 the ministry of fisheries and marine resources have already foiled 12 attempts to smuggle baby lobsters out of the country to cause a potential loss of up to Rp49.3 billion.
Five of the cases are found in Surabaya, three at Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta and two at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport, one in Jambi and another at Lombok International Airport involving 20 suspects.
In 2017 there were a total of 77 cases of baby lobster smuggling attempt being unveiled saving more than Rp366 billion in state income.
Baby lobster is included in the list of sea products that are allowed to be caught based on the regulation of the minister of fisheries and marine affairs number 56/PERMEN-KP/2016 on ban of catching and/or export of lobster (Panulirus), crab (Scylla) and sea crab (Pirtunus Pelagicus).
Violaters of the regulation are threatened with a maximum jail of 10 years and a maximum fine ov Rp5 billion.
Indonesia has committed to consistently safeguard its waters against over exploitation that may result in the decline of fishermen's catch.(*)
