Since being raised in late 2019, the plan to allow lobster seed exports has given rise to controversy.
By
BM Lukita Grahadyarini/M Kurniawan
·4 minutes read
KOMPAS/SAIFUL RIJAL YUNUS
Lobster is sold at retail in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Tuesday (25/8/2020).
In a series of arrests from Tuesday evening (24/11/2020) to Wednesday before dawn (25/11), West Indonesia Time, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) apprehended Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo. In addition to Edhy, the KPK captured several other people for alleged bribery in managing the export of lobster seeds (hatched larvae).Since being raised in late 2019, the plan to allow lobster seed exports has given rise to controversy. During 2014-2019, both trawling for lobster seeds and exporting them were forbidden in Indonesia, as stipulated in the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Regulation No.56/2016.
Edhy has revised the rule. Through Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Regulation No.12/2020 on the management of lobsters (Panulirus spp), crabs (Scylla spp) and Rajungan (small crabs, Portunus spp), lobster seeds exports are permitted. According to Edhy, fishing for lobster seeds offers economic prospects.
The seeds of six lobster species in 11 Indonesian fisheries are predicted to add up to 26 billion larvae to the market. If only sand and pearl lobster species are allowed to be taken, an estimated 5 billion larvae are available. This has led to a discussion about raising the annual catch quota to 500 million seeds. However, the lobster seed quota, according to the Research and Human Resources Agency of the ministry, totals 139.4 million larvae a year.
There was no clarity regarding the criteria for successful lobster cultivation as the requirement for seed exports.
Besides contradictory new and old rules, there have been some controversial issues. First, although technical directives for the regulation were not yet completely prepared by May 9, at least 20 companies had registered as lobster seed exporters. There was no clarity regarding the criteria for successful lobster cultivation as the requirement for seed exports.
Second, lobster seed exports started in June 2020, a month after the regulation was issued. The requirements for securing a lobster seed export quota include the sustainable harvest of cultivated lobster and the release of 2 percent of the harvest. Lobster cultivation is not a short-term undertaking, it takes about 8-12 months to produce lobsters weighing 800 grams to 1 kilogram.
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Edhy Prabowo wears a prison vest after the investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission investigator team at the KPK Building, Jakarta, on Wednesday (25/11/2020).
Third, state income from lobster seed exports is very small. From the export of around 100,000 lobster seeds on June 12, for instance, the state only earned Rp 34,375 in nontax state revenue (PNBP).
Fourth, there are indications of misuses of partnerships as a shortcut to obtain export permits, among other issues in East Lombok (Kompas, 12/7/2020). Instead of cultivating, lobster seed exporter companies allegedly benefited from their partnership with lobster cultivators for the sake of getting lobster seed export licenses.
Yet lobster seed exports kept going. Edhy affirmed that he would not back down from the decision. “Many experts are behind us: professors, doctors and environmental activists. The policy is measured,” he said in July.
Later, the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) began to suspect the presence of monopolistic practices in lobster seed exports. The delivery of lobster seeds through only one shipping business at Soekarno-Hatta Airport could create delivery cost inefficiencies and risks to be borne by the company.
A regulation sets six special places of exit for lobster seeds for overseas delivery. Besides Soekarno-Hatta, they are I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (Denpasar), Juanda (Surabaya), Zainuddin Abdul Madjid (Lombok), Kualanamu (Medan) and Sultan Hasanuddin (Makassar).In the small hours of Wednesday morning, the KPK arrested Edhy just after he landed at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in connection with alleged bribery. Bribes were allegedly given to Edhy in the process of the selection of lobster seed exporter candidates and the appointment of cargo companies for lobster seed exports. The information obtained by Kompas is that one of the corruption allegations leading to the detention of Edhy was the appointment of only one cargo company to export lobster seeds. (BIL)
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