Edhy Prabowo Opens Opportunities For Cooperatives To Become Lobster Seed Exporters

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) opens opportunities for cooperatives to participate in the export of lobster seeds. Later, this export will be opened as widely as possible. This means that business actors wishing to become lobster seed exporters will not be limited.

Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo said, currently there are 31 companies that have been verified to be exporters of lobster seeds. Of these, 26 of them have been announced. He said the number of exporters would continue to grow.

"The matter of who is invited to the company, we do not limit it to be a company, cooperatives are allowed. But we do not determine who registers. We accept all of them and continue to carry out verification," he said, during a joint working meeting with Commission IV of the DPR, Parliament Building , Jakarta, Monday, July 6.

According to Edhy, the prospective exporters have registered as potential exporters and the data has been verified by the KKP team. If they have met some of the specified requirements, it is practically possible to export.

Edhy reasoned that this policy was also carried out to revive fishermen who depend on the lobster seed export sector. This is because, so far, fishermen have been greatly affected by the ban on the export of lobster seeds previously implemented by his predecessor, Susi Pudjiastuti.

Based on the records of KKP throughout Indonesia, there are at least 10,000 fishermen who depend on this business for their livelihood. Edhy said, this policy is also very helpful for fishermen because the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down fish sales.

"Our sea is too wide and our territory is too big. This sector is a sector that I really believe will generate economic value. And most importantly, people who depend on their lives can come back to life," he explained.

For your information, the reopening of lobster seed exports has drawn a lot of criticism because the previous Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, banned the policy.

Senior economist, Faisal Basri also spoke about lobster exports. He suspects there is a mafia syndicate in the policy plan. This is because the lobster seed export policy makes no sense.

According to Faisal, lobster seeds are sold at a lower price than the price of adult lobsters. In fact, lobster is one of the biggest export potentials.