JAKARTA — Indonesia is offering resume direct exports of lobster larvae to Vietnam in exchange for investment in lobster farming and easing up on Vietnamese boats fishing illegally in its waters. Jakarta banned exports of lobster larvae in 2016 to prevent the overharvesting of wild population from the country’s rich waters. However, Indonesia’s fisheries minister, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, said on a visit to Hanoi that he would allow exports to Vietnam, which has a much more advanced lobster aquaculture industry. “I believe that Indonesia in the future is capable of being a key player in the global supply chain of lobster products,” Sakti said in a statement published Jan. 12. Indonesia’s fisheries minister, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, center left, and Vietnam’s agriculture minister, Le Minh Hoan, center, mark the signing of a exchange fisheries cooperation agreement at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Jan. 12. Image courtesy of the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. According to Sakti, Indonesian waters are the only breeding grounds for lobsters in the region that can supply wild-caught larvae. However, the country is falling behind in its lobster farming due to adverse government policies and lack of farmer knowledge and skills compared to other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam. The latter currently produces around 1,600 metric tons of premium-grade lobster a year, with the industry valued at more than $120 million, according to a 2019 study. Globally, fish farming, or aquaculture, saw a 527% increase in production from 1990-2018, with Indonesia among…This article was originally published on Mongabay
The post Indonesia offers lobster larvae exports to Vietnam in exchange for investment appeared first on EnviroLink Network.