Visiting and Survey by the Gempera Team with Telong-Elong Lobster Farmers, Who Are Capable of Earning IDR 200–500 Million Annually

Before heading to Maringkik island, the Gempera team conducted a visitation and survey to lobster farmers in the Telong-Elong beach area, Jerowaru sub-district, East Lombok. Telong-Elong is one of the lobster farming village areas that was organized and became a pilot project of the central and regional governments. The central government through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries has disbursed Rp 13.8 billion in 2022 to help lobster farming farmers. This effort is starting to show results, where many lobster cultivation farmers are growing, even one of the lobster farmers, H. Jumadil, shared that his income is quite large, reaching 200 million per year.

Jumadil started working on lobster farming from a place of doubt. Initially, he tried to make a small and limited number of cages. He was afraid of losing money if he failed miserably, but after receiving enough information and knowledge about lobster, Jumadil increased the number of cages and lobster seeds cultivated. Now he has cultivated 3000 lobster seeds that are harvested once a year reaching 1 ton. The price of a kilo of lobster ranges from 700,000-1,200,000, this price fluctuates sometimes up and down. A year he can earn a net income of 200,000,000-500,000,000. The proceeds are used to build a house, make the pilgrimage and pay for his son’s college education.

When asked by the Gempera team about the obstacles faced during lobster cultivation, Jumadil explained that the selection of seeds is the main factor. If lobster seeds from Java and Bali have poor results, it is probably because they are not suitable for the sea water content here, he said. However, seeds from the Lombok sea such as from Ekas beach, Sumbawa, and Dompu are doing very well. He also explained that lobster feed is often a problem. Mujahir fish and snails are the lobster’s favorite food, but this feed is not easy to obtain. He is grateful that the Pandan Duri dam is a natural source of lobster feed because there are so many mujahir fish there. That’s where he gets the fish feed from. The fishermen at Pandan Duri dam also have a new job as suppliers.

Besides Jumadil, the Gempera team also visited Papuk Bajang alies Winengan who is also a farmer cultivating lobsters, crabs and fish. Winengan, who is almost 70 years old, lives alone on his boat. He sleeps, bathes and eats there alone without a wife, hence why he is known as Papuk Bajang. Papuk Bajang seems to be less successful in his aquaculture, unlike H. Jumadil who is quite successful. Papuk Bajang said that he often did not receive seedlings from the government. In fact, he once worked for several years without being paid by an official at the marine office in East Lombok. Papuk Bajang can still survive with the existing cages and a small boat. He feels more at ease living in his small floating house on top of the fish cages he built because he does not have to hear gossip like in the villages.