KKP Confirms Lobster Seed May Be Caught for Domestic Cultivation

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has issued a new regulation regarding the capture of lobster seeds (benur) in Indonesia. The catch is now required to be used entirely to support domestic cultivation activities, including in West Nusa Tenggara. Director of Fish Resource Management at the KKP’s Directorate General of Capture Fisheries, Syahril Abdul Raup, clarified the polemic surrounding the regulation, which had previously been a source of complaint for the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government. He stated that the policy now permits the capture of lobster seeds for aquaculture purposes. “So, the capture of lobster seeds is allowed for domestic cultivation activities. Because no one eats lobster seeds, right? So, everything is for cultivation, 100 percent for domestic cultivation,” Syahril said in Mataram on Tuesday.

According to Syahril, the provincial government had previously complained about the lack of added value for the region due to a ban on catching lobster seeds. That ban referred to an old regulation from 2021. “What they complained about was the 2021 Ministerial Regulation. The new one is Ministerial Regulation Number 05 of 2026, issued this year. In the new regulation, the essence is that the capture of lobster seeds is still allowed, but entirely for domestic cultivation activities. That is the only change compared to the previous rule,” he explained.

With the new regulation in effect, Syahril emphasised that the sale scheme for lobster seeds is now purely a transaction between domestic farmers. The KKP also confirmed that there is no longer any Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) collection from the overseas marketing sector, as the export tap for lobster seeds has been closed. “There is no PNBP; now it is purely buying and selling. There is no more marketing abroad,” he stressed.

Responding to the provincial government’s concerns about what the region gains from this policy, Syahril highlighted the significant domino effect on the welfare of coastal communities. When local fishermen and fish farmers are active, the regional economy will automatically be lifted. “The benefit for the region is, firstly, fishermen continue to catch lobster seeds and they can market them to domestic fish farmers. Domestic fish farmers develop, so the benefits are for everyone,” Syahril elaborated. He added that the KKP’s main focus is achieving a balance between environmental sustainability and fishermen’s welfare. If local fishermen prosper, the main targets of both local and central government are essentially achieved. “If the fishermen are prosperous, the multiplier effect is great for the government. Our management goals are two: sustainable resources and prosperous fishermen,” he said. Syahril declined to speculate on the potential for continued smuggling of lobster seeds abroad, such as to Vietnam and other countries, stating that such activities fall purely under the domain of surveillance and law enforcement. “That is outside of cultivation. I am afraid of misspeaking. But we ensure that strict sanctions await anyone who dares to violate the rules,” he concluded.