Controversy over KP Ministry’s Policy Still Goes on

Controversy over KP Ministry’s Policy Still Goes on

JAKARTA – Referring to lobster, crab, and water crab population drop in Indonesian waters, Maritime and Fishery (KP) Minister, Susi Pudjiastuti, issued KP Minister Regulation No. 1/2015 about lobster, crab, and water crab fishing ban.

Suddenly, the regulation taking effect on January 17^th 2015 draws protests and worry that markets will run out of these commodities. This new regulation restricts certain sizes of lobster, crab, and water crab fishing and sale. The regulation also bans the fishing of those spawning species to give them a chance to hatch their eggs and to add their numbers.

As the response and follow up from the newly prevailing regulation, Susi issued KP Minister Circulation Letter No. 18/MEN-KP/ I/2015 about lobster, crab, and water crab fishing on Wednesday (1/21). This letter stated that the regulation will be implemented gradually.

The regulation stated for the first phase on January 2015 to December 2015, the fishable lobster and crab must have over 200-gram weight, water crab must have over 55-gram weight, and soka crab must have over 150-gram weight.

The second period on January 2016 and so on, the fishable lobster must have over 8-centimeter length and over 300-gram weight, crab must have over 15-centimeter width and over 350-gram weight, and water crab must have over 10-centimeter width and over 55-gram weight. “This regulation does not prohibit fishermen but only restrict them to fish lobster and crab,” Susi said on Wednesday (1/21).

However, this regulation draws countless protests from fisherman associations. Indonesian Fisherman Association (HNSI) Chairman, Yusuf Solichin, admitted he is frustrated with some policies Susi has made until now, including lobster and crab fishing ban.

According to him, the regulations and policies Susi has implemented do not show protection to domestic fishermen and are far from the efforts to prosper them.

Harming Fishermen

Not only from fishermen but the protests also come from local government of West Nusa Tenggara, the region producing most lobster in Indonesia.

Zainul Majdi, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Governor, asked KP Ministry to revise or to revamp this regulation, especially the regulation over fishable and sellable lobster size.

He reasoned in his region, there are 2,000 fishermen conducting lobster seed fishing business whose catches are 10 million fishes per year. “The value of catches reaches IDR 200 billion per year. Meanwhile, the number of lobster farmer reaches 778 people,” Zainul said.

Moreover, NTB government also conducts the efforts to manage and to preserve lobster resources by controlling and utilizing lobster parents and initiating several lobster seed fishing area as marine conservation areas.

Prior to that, Indonesia Marine Fish Culture Association (Abilindo) Secretary General, Wajan Sudja, also delivered protests to the government over the issuance of KP Minister Regulation No. 57/2014 banning transshipment at sea. Due to this policy, grouper fish farmers do not obtain export since so far, they obtain export through transshipment.

Grouper fish farmers lose export potentials of 4,600 tons of USD 45 million every year and 100,000 fishermen will be harmed. (Kontan)