Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, is urging Indonesia to play a strategic role in the global lobster supply chain.
To support this, the ministry is collaborating with the Vietnamese government and opening up investment opportunities for Vietnamese entrepreneurs to cultivate lobsters in Indonesia.
With this scheme, Indonesia not only gains investment but also receives technology transfer and modern lobster farming knowledge, aiming for broader access to the lobster market.
“As neighboring countries (Indonesia-Vietnam), we must collaborate to be part of the world’s fisheries governance. This means we have to become a global supply chain, and to get there, we can’t stand alone. If we unite, we can be the largest in the region,” explained Trenggono, on December 20, 2023.
He made this statement in response to the government’s plan to reopen the export of lobster seeds (benur).
Trenggono explained that lobster farming in Vietnam is already highly advanced, and 100% of the seeds used come from Indonesia, even though the export valve is closed.
Vietnam’s lobster export value reaches billions of dollars, far exceeding Indonesia’s lobster export value.
Therefore, the ministry is taking steps towards collaboration to curb illegal lobster seed transactions, simultaneously promoting the transfer of technology and knowledge for lobster cultivators in Indonesia, many of whom still use traditional methods.
“For the past three years, we have consistently tightened our supervision, but there are still breaches, and we don’t know where they are coming from. We need to collaborate with the targeted country to stop receiving illegal seeds. On the other hand, their cultivation is at an advanced level, while we are still traditional. Allowing it to continue in a traditional way is not good. If we stand alone, firm with our own stance, I think we will never progress,” he emphasized.
He stressed that collaboration with Vietnam is the government’s effort to minimize the losses caused by the illegal smuggling of lobster seeds, which continues to occur. It is known that more than 300 million lobster seeds flow illegally from Indonesia every year.
Trenggono added that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, along with law enforcement and other ministries, is intensively conducting supervision at various vulnerable points, including adding patrol vessels.
Meanwhile, Prof. Ari Purbayanto, a Professor at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences at IPB University, believes that Indonesia’s collaboration with Vietnam is necessary to boost domestic lobster farming.
He stated that this collaboration brings opportunities to enhance lobster farming capabilities in Indonesia, which has been predominantly done through traditional methods. Additionally, he mentioned that the survival chances of lobster seeds in the wild are minimal, so it’s better to utilize them to support cultivation activities.
“For lobster farming, it requires a considerable amount of capital. It’s not just about capital but also technology, and they need to have knowledge as well,” he explained.
“I think this is a good moment when Vietnam is willing to invest in Indonesia, transfer knowledge, and we give them a certain quota to utilize. There is certainly collaboration in this cultivation sector. I think this is something worth trying and challenging for Indonesia,” he added.
