Re-description of lobster fishery following ministerial decree of marine affair and fisheries 56/2016: case study in Pacitan, East Java

Abstract

Fishery-based lobster production decreased substantially due to over-exploitation and urge fishermen to catch smaller-size. In early 2015, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries restrained catch of species up to 8 cm carapace length or at least 200 g weight. This study to identify species and individual size within catch of two different fishing gears at different fishing ground. “Krendet”, demersal pot (trap) was operated from the cliff of strong reef crest that connected to land-coast with a strong rope. Outside the cliff, fishermen operated gill net. Catch species were identified based on morphology and meristic. Species composition was calculated based on number of each species within catch. The results showed that there were six species was catch: Panulirus penicillatus, P. homarus, P. longipes, P. ornatus, P. versicolor, and P. polyphagus. It represents all lobster species of Indonesia. P. homarus dominated the catch at fishing ground outside the pinnacle (63%), and near cliff species was dominated by P. penicillatus (69%). Regarding size regulation, only 42% of catch met the carapace length of > 8 cm. Carapace length-weight relationship does not always meet the criteria. These results indicated that part of lobster fishery were exploited undersize exposing the stock under risk.