Government Establishes Anti-Smuggling Task Force for Lobster Fry

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has acknowledged that the practice of smuggling clear lobster seeds, known locally as benur, continues unabated. “We are constantly conducting operations. A task force for anti-smuggling of BBL will later be formed,” said Director General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance Pung Nugroho Saksono at the parliamentary complex on Thursday, 11 June 2026. Pung stated that the formation of the anti-smuggling task force would be enshrined in a presidential regulation, which is currently undergoing harmonisation. He explained that the task force, whose members come from various ministries and inter-agency bodies, is tasked with enforcing the law against smuggling practices. Its members, Pung noted, include the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the Chief of the Indonesian National Police, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. “All law enforcement agencies are in there,” he said. On the same occasion, Pung confirmed that the Ministry remains suspending the export of lobster fry to Vietnam due to smuggling. He estimated the moratorium has been in place for half a year. Concurrently with the moratorium, he expressed hope that Indonesia could become self-sufficient in lobster cultivation. Indonesia initially engaged in cooperation with Vietnam through a joint venture scheme for lobster farming. Through this cooperation, Indonesia and Vietnam targeted the production of 30 million tonnes of lobsters each month for one year. However, the production target was not achieved due to smuggling. Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono has estimated that the state loses Rp 16 trillion annually from these activities.