The government of Lebak Regency, Banten Province, invites fishermen from the south coast to cultivate lobster shrimp to increase economic income, considering the price is quite high, which is around IDR 500 thousand to IDR 1.7 million per kilogram. The Head of the Small Fishermen Capacity Building Division of the Lebak Regency Fisheries Service, Rizal Ardiansyah, stated that the invitation to cultivate lobster was also an implementation of the Ministerial Regulation of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 17 of 2021 concerning Lobster Management. Lobster shrimp management is quite profitable for fishermen’s economic income as well as market demand tends to increase. The price of lobster in the market is quite high, the type of pearl lobster sold for IDR 1.7 million/kg, bamboo lobster for IDR 800 thousand/kg, and sand lobster for IDR 500 thousand/kg. Therefore, fishermen are asked to develop lobster cultivation to increase the economic income of coastal communities
So far, fishermen from the southern coast of Banten, from the waters of Binuangeun, Cihara, Bayah, and Sawarna have caught lobster fry, but they are sold to reservoirs for IDR 10-25 thousand per head. “We ask fishermen to cultivate lobster because it is quite profitable compared to catching fry and selling it to reservoirs,” he explained. According to him, the potential for lobsters in the southern waters of Banten is quite large, and in the fry season, lobsters can reach millions. Lobsters from the south of Banten are good quality with lobsters of pearl and bamboo species. It is estimated that early October to December 2022 will enter the lobster fry season, because of the relatively high rainfall. “We hope that lobster cultivation can boost fishermen’s economic income with a harvest period of up to eight months,” he said.
Aming, a fisherman from Wanasalam, Lebak Regency, said that he is now trying to cultivate lobster with floating nets around Binuangeun beach. However, it is the first time his party has cultivated lobster seeds that have been caught. “We hope that lobster cultivation can be harvested and generate an economy,” he said. Meanwhile, Ahmad, a lobster holder in Binuangeun, Lebak Regency, said that he only collects large-sized lobsters from fishermen’s catches and sells them to Jakarta. “We sell pearl lobster for IDR 1.7 million/kg and there is a lot of market demand,” he said.
