Indonesia Disrupts Attempted Smuggling of Rare Lobster Seeds

June 04: Police in Indonesia’s East Java province have disrupted an attempted smuggling operation of rare lobster seeds offshore and arrested seven suspects.

In a raid at a warehouse, the police seized 5,000 seeds of pearl lobster (panulirus versicolor) and 32,000 seeds of sand lobster (panulirus homarus).

Both of the seeds are protected by the Indonesian government, partly to maintain their population, provincial police spokesman Senior Commissioner Frans Barung revealed.

The spokesman further stated that the seven suspects collected the seeds in the warehouse, planning to ship them abroad.

Indonesian Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fishery Susi Pudjiastuti stressed that the ban on the catch of the lobsters weighing below 200 grams aims at ratcheting up the population of the species in the country’s waters.

All the lobster seeds seized from the crackdown have been released back into the sea.

Source: Xinhua Net