Illustrative image (File photo) Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia will start exporting baby lobsters after a previous ban aimed at conserving the wild population of the crustacean was lifted by the fisheries ministry.
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia Edhy Prabowo on May 4 signed a decree allowing the resumption of exports of non-pigmented post-larval lobsters of the genus Puerulus (commonly known as whip lobsters) and of baby lobsters of the genus Panulirus.
The fisheries ministry has issued new requirements to regulate exports, including setting an annual quota and limiting the sites from where the lobsters can be harvested by small-scale and traditional fishermen using “passive” gear. Juvenile lobsters that are either spawning or smaller than 8 centimeters (3 inches) or weigh less than 200 grams (7 ounces) may not be exported.
In addition, baby lobsters must be shipped by air under strict supervision and quarantine. The export must be based on the volume of wild lobsters caught. Baby lobster exports will be subject to export and revenue taxes. The value of baby lobsters will be determined by relevant ministries.
According to Edhy Prabowo, the lifting of the baby lobster export ban aims to maintain the sustainability of the national aquatic resources, increase the welfare of the community and encourage businesses to participate in technology investment cooperation in breeding baby lobsters for export. Especially, the government will manage and earn foreign currencies.
Edhy’s predecessor, Susi Pudjiastuti, had imposed the export ban in 2016 in an effort to replenish Indonesia’s lobster stocks./.
VNA
