West Java: Indonesia's Largest Lobster Producer

Indonesia is a maritime nation with abundant marine resources. One of Indonesia's marine products with high economic value in the global market is lobster.

Lobster, also known as "rock lobster" or "spiny lobster," is popular worldwide due to its savory, tender meat, rich in protein.

Lobsters inhabit shallow waters to depths of 100-200 meters below the sea surface and are distributed throughout almost all Indonesian waters.

Based on data from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, here are the 5 largest lobster-producing provinces in 2020:

1. West Java

Volume: 552.83 tons
Value: Rp74.22 billion

2. Bengkulu

Volume: 499.89 tons
Value: Rp64.84 billion

3. Aceh

Volume: 385.61 tons
Value: Rp95.06 billion

4. East Java

Volume: 378.56 tons
Value: Rp95.06 billion

5. South Sulawesi

Volume: 299.14 tons
Value: Rp45.08 billion

Currently, seven types of lobster are recorded in Indonesian waters: Rock Lobster ( *Panulirus penicillatus*), Spiny Lobster ( *Panulirus homarus*), Ornate Spiny Lobster ( *Panulirus ornatus*), Bamboo Lobster ( *Panulirus versicolor*), Long-legged Spiny Lobster ( *Panulirus longipes*), Red Spiny Lobster ( *Panulirus polyphagus*), and Red-spotted Spiny Lobster ( *Panulirus femoristriga*).

According to the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Ornate Spiny Lobster and Spiny Lobster are the most promising species for development through aquaculture in Indonesia.

However, research and development for producing lobster feed remains low, so Indonesian lobster production largely still depends on wild-caught catches.