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strong>Nov. 25, p14

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti is urging people to stop eating crab, lobster and their eggs due to drops in the populations of both crustacean types.

Your comments:

Good move, but that'€™s only talk so far. Actions have to be carried out now, efficiently. Smart new regulations have to be implemented.

Research will be needed to assess the efficiency of the new policies. Who will do the research? Is there sufficient qualified staff in the ministry? This is unlikely.

If there were Indonesian researchers with the necessary skills for the job, we would know it (just look at scientific literature to verify this).

So, yes, I think it would be a good thing to team up with foreigners who have done research on crab or lobster fisheries management.

This is done in the US and Canada, in the Mediterranean, in South Africa, in French, southern-Indian Ocean islands, in Australia, among others.

Jan Karl