The KPK must investigate thoroughly the graft case.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (Kiara) urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate exhaustively alleged graft in export licensing of baby lobsters following Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo’s arrest over the case.

"The KPK must investigate thoroughly the graft case to uncover all parties involved in the case and impose sanction in accordance with the Indonesian law," Secretary General of Kiara Susan Herawati stated here on Wednesday.

The KPK detained Prabowo on early Wednesday on charges of involvement in a graft case pertaining to export licensing of lobster larvae.

Prabowo was arrested at Terminal 3 of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang shortly after arriving from Honolulu, the US.

"The policy to export baby lobsters is not transparent and unaccountable," she stated, adding that the discussion on the issuance of Ministerial Regulation No. 12 of 2020 on lobster management did not involve fishermen.

"The policy on the export of lobster larvae did not take into account the existing fisheries resources in Indonesia. In 2017, the status (of lobster seeds) was fully exploited and over exploited," she pointed out.

Following the issuance of the ministerial regulation, the ministry gave approval to tens of companies to export lobster seeds.

"The criteria to approve exporter companies were unclear. The involvement of some politicians in the exporting companies contradicted Minister Edhy Prabowo's claim that (the policy) was issued for the people's welfare," she stated.

Furthermore, Herawati noted that the Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition (KPPU) had detected unfair competition in the export of lobster seeds in the country, including the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten being designated as the only export gate for the commodity, while most exporters operated in West Nusa Tenggara and Sumatra.

The Fish Quarantine Inspection Agency (BKIPM) in its Regulation No. 37 of 2020 recommended six airports as the gates for export of lobster seeds: Soekarno-Hatta in Banten, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Lombok International Airport in Lombok, Kualanamu Airport in Medan, and Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar. Related news: Fisheries Ministry issues licenses to 26 baby lobster exporters
Related news: Indonesia has yet to decide lifting of export ban on lobster seeds

EDITED BY INE

Translator: M Razi Rahman, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
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