Indonesia sets 232.9 million-larvae lobster quota for 2026

Labuan Bajo — — Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has set a national annual quota of 232,896,511 lobster larvae (puerulus) for 2026 under Ministerial Decree No. 21 of 2026, signed on 8 April 2026 in Jakarta. The ceiling applies across 11 Fisheries Management Areas of the Republic of Indonesia (WPPNRI) and replaces Ministerial Decree No. 28 of 2024 on lobster seed quotas.

The decree covers clear lobster seed, including lobster species in the genus Panulirus, and defines the quota as the upper limit on puerulus that may be caught during one fishing season in a year. The decision is currently in force, with the Ministry’s legal information centre listing its status as “berlaku,” or applicable.

What the decision sets

According to the decree, the national ceiling is divided among 11 WPPNRI areas, each assigned an estimated resource potential, an allowed catch and a quota for lobster puerulus. In the table attached to the decision, the allowed catch and the quota figures are identical for each area, and the sum of all quotas equals the national total of 232,896,511 larvae.

The decree’s table lists the following estimates and quotas, in individual larvae:

• WPPNRI 571: estimated potential 14,480,374; quota 7,240,187.
• WPPNRI 572: estimated potential 85,789,490; quota 42,894,745.
• WPPNRI 573: estimated potential 61,379,474; quota 30,689,737.
• WPPNRI 711: estimated potential 44,693,026; quota 22,346,513.
• WPPNRI 712: estimated potential 45,119,545; quota 22,559,772.
• WPPNRI 713: estimated potential 25,106,391; quota 12,553,196.
• WPPNRI 714: estimated potential 23,760,820; quota 11,880,410.
• WPPNRI 715: estimated potential 39,940,494; quota 19,970,247.
• WPPNRI 716: estimated potential 45,152,822; quota 22,576,411.
• WPPNRI 717: estimated potential 24,154,646; quota 12,077,323.
• WPPNRI 718: estimated potential 56,215,940; quota 28,107,970.

The decree does not provide a further breakdown of these quotas by province, district, fishing community, business or aquaculture operator.

Implications for East Nusa Tenggara

For fishers, collectors and aquaculture businesses in East Nusa Tenggara, the decree establishes the national and area-level framework for lobster seed capture but does not specify a particular quota allocation for the province or identify collection locations and licensing procedures. The text of the decision does not detail which coastal sites within East Nusa Tenggara fall under each WPPNRI area or how any area quota would be distributed among provinces or operators.

The decision also does not set out practical requirements for applications, licensing authorities, registration, reporting, transport documentation, buyer obligations or enforcement. As a result, operators are expected to treat the 232,896,511 figure as a national and WPPNRI-based ceiling rather than an automatic entitlement to collect larvae at any given site.

That distinction is significant for provincial efforts to promote lobster farming as an alternative livelihood for fishers, because a capture quota alone does not grant permission to collect puerulus, approve farms or guarantee access to seed. Those steps are governed by broader regulations on lobster resource management and any implementing rules issued under them.

Regulatory context

The 2026 decree was issued to implement provisions of Ministerial Regulation No. 7 of 2024 on the management of lobster (Panulirus spp.), crab (Scylla spp.) and swimming crab (Portunus spp.). Regulation 7/2024 sets out the overall management framework, including how quotas for lobster and other species are determined based on estimated resource potential and allowed catch.

In 2026, Ministerial Regulation No. 5 of 2026 amended Regulation 7/2024, updating rules on the management of lobster, crab and swimming crab. Ministerial Decree No. 21 of 2026 therefore provides the numerical basis for puerulus capture quotas within this wider regulatory system, focusing on the estimated potential, allowed catch and annual quotas for each WPPNRI area.

The decree was signed by Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono and took effect on the date of issuance, 8 April 2026. On entry into force it revoked Ministerial Decree No. 28 of 2024 on estimated potential, allowed catch and quotas for lobster puerulus.

For operators in East Nusa Tenggara and other regions, the practical next step is to align proposed collection sites and aquaculture activities with the relevant WPPNRI area and consult the applicable ministerial regulations and implementing provisions that govern licensing and operational requirements.

Sources

• Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan – Direktorat Jenderal Perikanan Tangkap (PDF of Kepmen KP No. 21 Tahun 2026)
• JDIH Kementerian Koordinator Bidang Kemaritiman – Permen KP No. 7 Tahun 2024
• Portal Peraturan Pemerintah Indonesia – PERMEN KKP No. 7 Tahun 2024
• Direktorat Jenderal Perikanan Tangkap – Technical document on lobster puerulus quotas