KKP seeks to maximise lobster-seed potential through aquaculture development
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) was continuing to develop lobster aquaculture in Indonesia to maximise the country’s potential supply of clear lobster seeds (BBL), estimated at nearly 500 million a year.
He said the ministry had successfully conducted lobster-farming trials in several areas, including Batam in the Riau Islands and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), as part of efforts to increase the added value of marine resources.
“We have been able to conduct successful aquaculture trials in several places, including Batam, West Nusa Tenggara and a number of other locations,” Trenggono said at the launch of the Task Force for Combating the Export of Clear Lobster Seeds (Satgas P2BBL) in Jakarta on Monday.
He said aquaculture development was important because Indonesia had significant potential for clear lobster seeds, but had not yet fully used them to raise lobsters domestically.
According to ministry data, national farmed lobster production reached 481 tonnes in 2024, up from 437 tonnes in 2023.
Under the Directorate General of Aquaculture’s 2025–2029 strategic plan, the government has set a target of producing 1,100 tonnes of farmed lobster in 2026, as part of efforts to boost production and add value to national fishery commodities.
Trenggono estimated Indonesia’s potential supply of clear lobster seeds at around 500 million a year, saying they could support much greater economic activity if properly managed.
“According to the figures, it is nearly 500 million seeds. But in my view, if there are 500 million every year, the actual number should be higher. This is an extraordinary marine resource, which, frankly, we have not yet been able to use properly,” he said.
He said one of the challenges facing Indonesia’s lobster-farming industry was strong demand for seeds from neighbouring countries, particularly Vietnam, which has large numbers of farmers operating at scale.
Alongside the strong demand, differences in seed prices between countries also encouraged people to sell the seeds rather than raise them into lobsters with greater economic value.
Trenggono said the price paid to Indonesian fishers was around Rp8,500 per seed, while in Vietnam it could reach Rp35,000 to Rp50,000 in certain circumstances.
“At the level of fishers, the price is around Rp8,500 per seed,” he said.
He said raising lobsters required more time and money, making the quicker sale of seeds an attractive option for some people.
“That is why people here readily sell clear lobster seeds rather than raise them, which takes a great deal of time and money,” Trenggono said.
He said he had visited several lobster-farming areas in Vietnam and seen the substantial demand for seeds to support production there.
The situation underscores the need to strengthen Indonesia’s lobster-growing industry so that the country’s seed resources are not used solely for seed trading, but also generate higher-value farmed products.
In addition to developing domestic aquaculture, Trenggono said the government had explored bilateral co-operation with neighbouring countries to address the trade in clear lobster seeds, although smuggling remained a challenge.
“We hope the Vietnamese Government will no longer allow this illegal trade and smuggling of clear lobster seeds to continue. We hope we can co-operate seriously so that, at the very least, it can be done legally,” he said.
He said he hoped co-ordination among ministries and agencies through Satgas P2BBL would strengthen law enforcement and support the legal and sustainable management of lobster resources, allowing fishers, farmers and the national economy to benefit more.