Jeje Refuses to Legalize Baby Lobster Catching and Selling

PANGANDARAN WEST JAVA - As the regent of Pangandaran, from the start, I refused to catch baby lobsters in the Pangandaran waters, " said Pangandaran regent H Jeje Wiradinata, who is also chairman of the Indonesian Fishermen's Association (HNSI) Pangandaran Regency, Thursday 11/03/2021 .

Jeje said that, perhaps in Indonesia, I am the only regent who refuses to legalize catching and selling baby lobsters.

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Why, yes, because I want the lobster habitat to be protected and undisturbed, on the other hand, no matter how tight the control and supervision of catching baby lobsters is, it is difficult to do.

It is feared that the catching of baby lobsters that are slobbery will still happen, even though they are under strict regulations.

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Yes, because catching baby lobsters is very easy, you don't even need to use a boat, you just need to use the used tires as a float, everything goes smoothly, " said Jeje.

According to him, in the life cycle of their marine life, all cannibals eat each other, mainly the plankton and the larvae are eaten by the larger ones.

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Likewise baby lobsters, after being eaten by a bigger one, it is clear that there is little left, plus if they are caught by massive humans, that's all, " explained Jeje.

As a result of all that, in Pangandaran sea waters, it is currently very difficult to find lobsters, yes, because many fishermen catch baby lobsters, "he said.

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Fishermen want to protest or get angry with me, it doesn't matter, because the interest in protecting the ecosystem and living space of marine life, especially baby lobsters, for me is a very principle thing, " said Jeje.

I know that many fishermen are disappointed with this decision, however, it is still a principle that I must uphold, even though it is an unpopular decision, " said Jeje.

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One of the duties of the leader is to straighten out the wrong behavior of the community, so, in the preservation of marine ecosystems, I will not sacrifice interests that are much broader than individual interests, " he said.

As Jeje added, the catch of lobster before knowing 2020 reached 3-4 billion rupiah each year, but in 2020 it is very small, not reaching 3 billion rupiah.

Now, the decline in catch is due to the baby lobster transaction, therefore, I urge you, let's protect our nature, protect baby lobsters from extinction in the Pangandaran sea, " he added. (Anton AS)