Indonesia approves Blue Swimming Crab harvest control rule

Bogor, W Java,(Antaranews Bogor) - Indonesia's blue swimming crab
stakeholders have approved an adaptive harvest control rule to
ensure a sustainable fishery in the country, an Indonesian Blue
Swimming Crab Processing Association (APRI) official said.

The harvest control rule has regulated the minimum harvest size,
fishing gear restriction and habitat protection for nursery and
spawning ground, APRI Executive Director Arie Prabawa said in his
written statement made available to Antara here Saturday.

The minimum harvest size that the trade association, fishers, the
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fishery, and the marine affairs and
fishery offices had agreed was 10 centimeters while the escape
vent size applied in fishing gear restriction using crab pot was
5,0 cm x 3,5 cm, he said.

The approval was recently made by the blue swimming crab
stakeholders in a workshop and socialization of blue swimming crab
harvest control rule in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi Province, he
said.

Prabawa said the harvest control rule was widely needed by fishery
management strategy toward to sustainability.

"The Marine Stewardship Council, an international Eco labeling
certification, will recognize the sustainable fishery through
sustainable fishery stock, fishery habitat and fishery
governance," he said.

In supporting an effective harvest control rule, the management
controls were needed by making such efforts as forming fishery
management body; conducting public awareness campaigns, community
education, and monitoring and surveillance; pushing government
support with budget and creating alternative livelihood for the
fisheries, he said.

About the demand of blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus), Arie
Prabawa said that it has been increasing significantly in the last
two decades.

Quoting the 2013 statistical data, he said the fishery of blue
swimming crab's value amounted to over 360 million US dollars or
the third position after shrimp and tuna.

"This fishery is intensively sourced across Indonesia by thousands
of fishers, and supported by thousands more women at home
industries as pickers. It has become the largest artisanal fishery
involving most of fishery communities in Indonesia," he said.

In ensuring the fishery sustainability, APRI has launched a long
term sustainability program, called Fishery Improvement Project
(FIP). The FIP will be conducted by the Marine Stewardship
Council's indicators and principles," he added.