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Abstract
Spiny lobster farming is an emerging industry in Indonesia. However, its dependence on wild puerulus (an intermediate larval–juvenile phase) supply is critical and the industry has been constrained by the underdeveloped skills of puerulus fishers. The overall aim of this study was, first, to address the development of the spiny lobster aquaculture in Indonesia by understanding barriers to puerulus collection through a study tour involving an Indonesian spiny lobster stakeholder group to Vietnam; second, to address the assessment of the lobster puerulus resource and its potential for sustainable exploitation to support aquaculture; and finally, to identify the most effective collection devices and techniques, and understand puerulus behaviour and ecology.
The study tour appeared a highly effective method for improving the knowledge of participants, particularly in regard to detailed technical information on puerulus collection. The most important outcome of the study tour was the substantial increase in lobster puerulus catch, attributed to improved (adopted) techniques involving modified equipment and application of light to attract pueruli to the fishing equipment. Many new Indonesian puerulus hotspots have been identified, including the entire south coast from Sumbawa to Java. Puerulus exporters have played an important role in the expansion of new puerulus fishing grounds throughout the country by delivering skilled puerulus fishers from Lombok elsewhere around Indonesia to disseminate information about new puerulus catching techniques. However, although the number of caught puerulus has increased dramatically, this has not generated positive effects for development of the grow-out sector because collected pueruli are designated for more lucrative international markets. Additionally, as both grow-out and collection of pueruli became illegal under Indonesian legislations introduced in 2015 and 2016, a puerulus black market has emerged.
Removal of pueruli for the purpose of aquaculture is unlikely to negatively affect future catches or the breeding stock because of the extremely low wild survival rate of this larval stage. However, growing pueruli on to market-size lobsters provides significant benefits for both humans and the environment. Given that the natural mortality of pueruli in Indonesia is likely to be >99%, combining lobster grow-out of wild-caught pueruli and restocking a certain percentage of farmed lobsters back into the wild provides a win–win solution. Indonesia has a puerulus resource exceeding 100 million individuals, which is 20 times greater than that of Vietnam where a large, stable and sustainable lobster farming industry based on the puerulus resource is established. If 50% of the Indonesian fishable lobster puerulus resource (i.e., 50 million pueruli) was allowed to be fished, this would be sufficient to support production of 12,500 tonnes of market size lobsters—assuming 50% survival from puerulus to a harvest size of 500 g. This could provide a livelihood for more than 50,000 households.
Spiny lobster farming is an emerging industry in Indonesia. However, its dependence on wild puerulus (an intermediate larval–juvenile phase) supply is critical and the industry has been constrained by the underdeveloped skills of puerulus fishers. The overall aim of this study was, first, to address the development of the spiny lobster aquaculture in Indonesia by understanding barriers to puerulus collection through a study tour involving an Indonesian spiny lobster stakeholder group to Vietnam; second, to address the assessment of the lobster puerulus resource and its potential for sustainable exploitation to support aquaculture; and finally, to identify the most effective collection devices and techniques, and understand puerulus behaviour and ecology.
The study tour appeared a highly effective method for improving the knowledge of participants, particularly in regard to detailed technical information on puerulus collection. The most important outcome of the study tour was the substantial increase in lobster puerulus catch, attributed to improved (adopted) techniques involving modified equipment and application of light to attract pueruli to the fishing equipment. Many new Indonesian puerulus hotspots have been identified, including the entire south coast from Sumbawa to Java. Puerulus exporters have played an important role in the expansion of new puerulus fishing grounds throughout the country by delivering skilled puerulus fishers from Lombok elsewhere around Indonesia to disseminate information about new puerulus catching techniques. However, although the number of caught puerulus has increased dramatically, this has not generated positive effects for development of the grow-out sector because collected pueruli are designated for more lucrative international markets. Additionally, as both grow-out and collection of pueruli became illegal under Indonesian legislations introduced in 2015 and 2016, a puerulus black market has emerged.
Removal of pueruli for the purpose of aquaculture is unlikely to negatively affect future catches or the breeding stock because of the extremely low wild survival rate of this larval stage. However, growing pueruli on to market-size lobsters provides significant benefits for both humans and the environment. Given that the natural mortality of pueruli in Indonesia is likely to be >99%, combining lobster grow-out of wild-caught pueruli and restocking a certain percentage of farmed lobsters back into the wild provides a win–win solution. Indonesia has a puerulus resource exceeding 100 million individuals, which is 20 times greater than that of Vietnam where a large, stable and sustainable lobster farming industry based on the puerulus resource is established. If 50% of the Indonesian fishable lobster puerulus resource (i.e., 50 million pueruli) was allowed to be fished, this would be sufficient to support production of 12,500 tonnes of market size lobsters—assuming 50% survival from puerulus to a harvest size of 500 g. This could provide a livelihood for more than 50,000 households.