Photo provided by Clive Jones
expanding spiny lobster aquaculture in indonesia
Spiny lobster farming in Indonesia has, in the past 5 years, taken two steps forward and one step back. The capacity of lobster fishers and farmers has increased, and the opportunity for a large industry employing whole coastal communities is stronger than before. Nevertheless, grow-out of lobsters has diminished as an unexpected consequence of the increased seed catch, with coastal communities focusing on seed capture and immediate sale—an approach which is lucrative and low risk, but diminishes the economic benefit to those communities.
Lobster farming in Indonesia continues to develop and evolve, and there is demonstrable evidence that significant expansion through increased production and productivity is possible with appropriate support. Nevertheless, the industry remains at a developmental stage only, constrained by lack of farming skills and knowledge, limited access to support networks and credit, and incompatible policy and regulatory settings. Lobster farming is a particularly attractive opportunity for Indonesia because capture of seed lobsters and their grow-out involves simple technology, minimal capital and is ideally suited to village-based enterprises.
This project aims to increase the engagement of farmers in lobster grow-out, addressing the priority issues of improved survival of lobster seed through the nursery phase, and increased survival and growth of lobsters through grow-out. Specifically, it comprises four objectives:
1. Develop and expand a sustainable lobster seed catch sector in Indonesia
2. Define optimal lobster growout production technology
3. Build capacity in lobster aquaculture research and production
4. Evaluate the socioeconomic impacts of lobster farming for Indonesian communities.
Principal Investigator: Clive Jones (James Cook University)
Collaborators: Amy Diedrich, Liz Peterson (Advanced Choice Economics P/L), Epsi Euriga (Bogor Agricultural University & Yogyakarta Agricultural Extension College), Anna Fatchiya (Bogor Agricultural University), Rina Oktaviani (Bogor Agricultural University), Simon Irvin (CSIRO), Indonesian Agency of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Research and Development, Institute for Mariculture Research and Development (Gondol), Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Centre of Lombok, BBAP Ujung Batee Aceh
Funding: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research