Batam Releases First Export of Mangrove Crabs to China
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1 February 2024 08:03 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Batam - The Riau Islands' Animal, Fish, and Plant Quarantine Center in tandem with the Batam Development Authority (BP Batam) released the first export of live mangrove crabs (Scylla serrata) to Shanghai, China on Wednesday, January 31. The shipment was made by Garuda Indonesia.
The total export value amounted to IDR 17 million with a weight of 120 kilograms, according to the head of the Fish Quarantine, Quality Control, and Fishery Product Safety Agency (SKIPM) M Darwin Syah Putra.
“These crabs belong to the mangrove crab entrepreneur Pak Abun, who is part of our coaching team. We have been working together for a long time," Darwin said.
He explained that the commodity did not come from fishermen in the Riau Islands but from Tungkal, Jambi, and other regions. "Today's crab exports come from outside Batam, but in the name of Batam," he added.
According to him, crab is the third largest export commodity in the world, so there is great potential for cultivation in the region. He also hopes that the export will continue in the future. "We also export clownfish, snappers, and groupers, as well as seaweed (rengkam)," Darwin said.
Muhammad Rudi, the head of BP Batam, expressed his support for the export of live mangrove crabs and pledged to provide the land needed by entrepreneurs. “We have 340 islands in Batam. This initial export is worth Rp17 million, later it will be Rp17 billion, Rp17 trillion, I fully support it,” he said.
Meanwhile, a mangrove crab entrepreneur Abun said that one kilogram of mangrove crab is sold for Rp100,000, while the export value is Rp300,000 per kilogram. He claimed that the commodity no longer existed in Riau and Batam due to the massive harvesting of small crabs. “In the 90s, there were still a lot of them, [we can harvest] five tons in a month. Now there are none left.”
YOGI EKA SAHPUTRA
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