JAKARTA – The policy to restrict lobster, crab, and water crab fishing will be hardly implemented since fishermen, who have fished those marine lives, cannot release them and can sell them to other places.
Lobster, crab, and water crab fishing is restricted for the spawning species with certain sizes following population drop of three marine lives.
The regulation is regulated in Maritime and Fishery (KP) Minister Regulation No. 1/PERMEN-KP/2015 about fishing restriction of three fish species taking effect on January 9th 2015. The regulation is deemed to have weakness in downstream sector.
Indonesia Fishery Product Marketing and Processing Employer Association Chairman, Thomas Darmawan, doubted fishermen will return their catches if it does not suitable with the regulation. Fishermen, he said, hardly return their catches to seek profit.
“In addition, our fishermen’s revenue is low. Therefore, they may fish them for daily meal or supply them to industries,” he told Bisnis on Tuesday (1/20).
It, he continued, brings impact to domestic industry. It will obtain many supplies from fishermen since the three commodities unmatched requirements are not allowed to be exported.
“It has good purpose to guarantee the long-term supply. However, it is hardly conducted since our fishermen’s revenue does not reach USD 2 a day,” he said.
KP Ministry restricts lobster, crab, and water crab fishing. The allowed carapace length for lobster is 8 centimeters and the allowed carapace width for crab and water crab is 15 and 10 centimeters respectively.
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Deputy Chairman for Maritime and Fishery, Yugi Prayanto, said in short term, he said, production will drop so lobster, crab, and water crab’s prices will increase temporarily.
“Temporary revenue drop will exist but lobster, crab, and water crab will grow bigger,” he said.
Indonesia Water Crab Association Chairman, Kuncoro Nugroho, predicted water crab production drop is not too significant since spawning water crabs are not always found by fishermen.
“It may be decrease but not too significant. We expected so far, the spawning female species can be cultured so their population will be higher,” he said.
Export Drop
KP Ministry’s Fishery Product Marketing and Processing Director General, Saut P. Hutagalung, said the implementation of regulation is expected to maintain the continuity of supply since the export volume of three commodities keeps dropping for the last three years.
“We do not want to only supply and satisfy market but we also want to meet long-term market demand.”
He explained fresh and processed lobster export volume every year keeps decreasing. KP Ministry’s temporary data shows in 2014, lobster export volume reached 3,427 tons which decreases from last year of 5,154 tons and 2012 of 5,309 tons.
2014 crab and water crab export volume reached 28,090 tons which decreases than last year of 34,172 tons. (Bisnis Indonesia)
