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Thousands of baby lobsters to be released to natural habitat
Under threat: Lobster populations have been declining at an alarming rate in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, as a result of overfishing
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Under threat: Lobster populations have been declining at an alarming rate in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, as a result of overfishing. (tempo.co) (tempo.co)
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span class="inline inline-center">Under threat: Lobster populations have been declining at an alarming rate in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, as a result of overfishing. (tempo.co)
Hundreds of thousands of baby lobsters smuggled from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to Singapore via Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta will be released to Gunungkidul waters to recover lobster populations, which have continued to decline.
'Temporarily, we are holding the baby lobsters in a farm in Gunungkidul. Once they recover, we will release them into their natural habitat,' Yogyakarta Fish Quarantine and Quality Control Agency (KIMP) head Suprayogi said on Wednesday.
Authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle around 320,000 baby lobsters worth more than Rp 6 billion (US$435,415.2) from NTB to Singapore on Tuesday.
'We have to first help the baby lobsters recover after the smuggling attempt so that they will have a high survival capacity in their natural habitat,' said Suprayogi.
The price of baby lobsters in the international market is high. One baby lobster can sell for between Rp 17,000 and Rp 20,000 in local markets but in Singapore, they are priced up to Rp 100,000 each.
Last week, KIMP Yogyakarta released hundreds of baby lobsters worth Rp 500 million at Sepanjang Beach, Gunungkidul. The lobsters were confiscated during a security check in the airport.
Adisucipto airport has been an alternative gate for baby lobster smuggling from Indonesia to several countries abroad as security has been tightened at airports known as main smuggling points, such as Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali and Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java.
Head of the Gunungkidul Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Agency, Agus Priyatno, said a number of areas known as lobster production centers had seen a decrease in lobster production.(ebf)
