TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former maritime affairs minister Susi Pudjiastuti has voiced strong rejection against the lobster seeds export plans by the current Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Edhy Prabowo. In disputing Edhy’s plan, Susi revealed the lobster export performance from her Twitter account on Thursday, December 19.

Via a text message, Tempo asked her permission to use the data, which was granted by her. “This graphic shows what has happened with Indonesia’s lobster exports compared to Vietnam’s after the lobster seeds export ban was effective,” she tweeted.

Susi’s data shows of Indonesia’s domestic lobster exports compared to Vietnam’s before and after the ministry issued the ban. Data in 2016, when the ban was effective, saw a significant rise as Indonesia’s adult lobster exports collected US$14.84 million that year.

That export value increased from 2015 that only garnered US$11.35 million.

After the 2016 increase, the export of adult lobsters in 2017 and 2018 also saw a rise with the former producing US$17.3 million and the latter year producing US$28.4 million.

A contrast to Indonesia’s performing adult lobster exports, Vietnam saw theirs drastically dropping with 2015 generating US$11.8 million; 2016 (US$7.09 million); 2017 (US$6.1 million); 2018 (US$4.2 million).

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA