A joint team from the Maritime Affa

A joint team from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and Riau Islands provincial administration on Saturday released 304 lobsters back into their natural habitat on Hantu Island, Batam, Riau Islands.

The authorities said they released the lobsters as they belonged to a category Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti had prohibited from being caught and traded.

Batam-chapter Fish Quarantine Office head Ashari Syarief said quarantine officers confiscated the 304 lobsters during a security operation at Sekupang Port in Batam on April 7.

“The officers grew suspicious of three large cardboard boxes unloaded from a ferry arriving from Dumai, Riau. It was revealed that the boxes contained lobsters without proper documents. And after further examination, they found that the lobsters were prohibited from being caught and traded,” said Ashari.

According to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministerial Regulation (Permen) No.1/2015 on the catching of lobsters, crabs and rajungan (a kind of small crab), only lobsters with at least a 8 centimeter-long carapace are allowed to be caught and traded. Meanwhile, crabs and rajungan measuring less than 15 centimeters in length and 200 grams in weight are prohibited from being caught and traded.

“We have informed fishermen of the regulation and these [lobsters] are our first catch since issuing the regulation. We will release our catch back into their natural habitat; but, legal sanctions cannot yet be implemented for the time being,” said Ashari, adding that the regulation aimed to prevent the excessive export of lobsters, crabs and rajungan in certain categories.

Riau Islands Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency secretary Relawan Zai said Riau Islands was one of main producing areas of lobsters, crabs and rajungan in Indonesia as geographically, 96 percent of the islands were covered by water.

“The government does not prohibit but limits their trading. It is aimed at merely protecting lobsters from going extinct. If egg-bearing lobsters are allowed to be caught and traded, they will go extinct faster. We warmly welcome the government’s policy,” said Relawan.

Based on agency data, the potential production of lobsters, crabs, rajungan and shrimp in Riau Islands amounts to 4,402 tons per year with catching areas located in Anambas, Batam, Bintan, Karimun, Lingga, Natuna, and Tanjung Pinang.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Tim gabungan dari Kelautan dan Perikanan Departemen dan Kepulauan Riau Administrasi Provinsi pada hari Sabtu dilepaskan 304 lobster kembali ke habitat aslinya di Pulau Hantu, Batam, Kepulauan Riau.Pihak berwenang mengatakan mereka merilis lobster mereka milik kategori Kelautan dan Perikanan Menteri Susi Pudjiastuti telah dilarang dari yang tertangkap dan diperdagangkan.Kepala Dinas karantina ikan Batam-bab Ashari Syarief kata petugas karantina disita lobster 304 selama operasi keamanan di Sekupang pelabuhan di Batam pada tanggal 7 April."Petugas tumbuh curiga terhadap tiga kotak kardus besar diturunkan dari sebuah feri yang tiba dari Dumai, Riau. Itu mengungkapkan bahwa kotak berisi lobster tanpa dokumen yang tepat. Dan setelah pemeriksaan lebih lanjut, mereka menemukan bahwa lobster dilarang dari menjadi tertangkap dan diperdagangkan,"kata Ashari.Menurut Kelautan dan Perikanan Peraturan Menteri (sesuai Permen) No.1/2015 pada penangkapan lobster, kepiting dan kebiting (kepiting jenis kecil), hanya Lobster dengan carapace sentimeter panjang minimal 8 diperbolehkan untuk menangkap dan diperdagangkan. Sementara itu, kepiting dan kebiting yang berukuran kurang dari 15 sentimeter panjangnya dan 200 gram berat dilarang menjadi tertangkap dan diperdagangkan."Kami telah memberitahu nelayan peraturan dan ini [lobster] yang menangkap pertama kami sejak mengeluarkan peraturan. Kami akan merilis kami menangkap kembali ke habitat alami mereka; Tapi, sanksi hukum belum dapat diimplementasikan untuk saat ini,"kata Ashari, menambahkan bahwa peraturan yang ditujukan untuk mencegah ekspor berlebihan lobster, kepiting dan kebiting dalam kategori tertentu.Sekretaris Badan Perikanan dan Kelautan Kepulauan Riau Relawan Zai mengatakan Kepulauan Riau adalah salah satu area memproduksi utama lobster, kepiting dan kebiting di Indonesia karena secara geografis, 96 persen dari Kepulauan ditutupi oleh air."Pemerintah tidak melarang tetapi membatasi perdagangan mereka. Itu ditujukan semata-mata melindungi lobster dari akan punah. Jika telur-bantalan lobster diperbolehkan untuk menangkap dan diperdagangkan, mereka akan pergi punah lebih cepat. Kami sangat menyambut kebijakan pemerintah,"kata Relawan.Berdasarkan data badan, potensi produksi lobster, kepiting, kebiting dan udang di Kepulauan Riau berjumlah 4,402 ton per tahun dengan menangkap area terletak di Anambas, Batam, Bintan, Karimun, Lingga, Natuna dan Tanjung Pinang.