An assessment of the blue swimming crab industry in Indonesia by the Indonesian Blue Swimming Crab Association (APRI) has shown that the industry has been hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Indonesia is a large exporter of swimming crab, sending over 12.7 million kilograms of the product worth almost USD 260 million (EUR 240 million) to various countries in 2019. Of the export targets, the largest by far is the United States, with the APRI estimating that between 85 to 90 percent of all exports from Indonesia head to the U.S.
That heavy reliance on the U.S. market has had a negative impact on Indonesia’s exports as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep restaurants in the U.S. closed. The majority of the product sent to the U.S. is sold in restaurants, and typically for a higher price – the average value in 2019 was USD 21.00 (EUR 19.40) per pound.
The assessment found that 32 buyers in the U.S. have delayed orders, 39 processing plants that process blue swimming crab have reduced production, over 200 “mini plants” processing product have stopped operation, 18,000 crab-pickers will potentially lose their jobs, and 90,000 fishers with few other options or alternative gear are facing difficult economic situations.
The APRI performed surveys in a number of different parts of Indonesia, including Lampung, Gresik, Pemalang, and Pati. What it found was that the majority of fishermen have either changed their gear over to an alternate species, or are trying to sell crab locally at a drastically reduced price.
“Out of 180 BSC fishers from five villages in three regencies, half of them [have] decided to change their target (anchovies, squid, and other fishes),” the APRI survey found of Lampung. “While, the fishers who can’t switch gear still catching BSC, and sell their catch to the local market with very low price.”
The greatest impact has been to Java, which contains the largest number of processing plants – comprised of both mini-plants and full facilities.
“It is assumed that the more number of mini plants, pickers, and fishermen, the larger the impact of COVID-19 on blue swimming crab fisheries,” the APRI wrote.
In response to the ongoing impacts, the APRI is working to help assist blue swimming crab fishers continue to access basic needs – like food – in the wake of the impacts to fishers’ livelihoods. The association is also reallocating all of its association budget to support fishers and crab-pickers, given the economic hardships many are facing.
The organization is also asking for the government to follow through with planned economic stimulus to fishers, suggesting it use the mini-plants supply chain as a reference to deliver subsidies to crab pickers and fishers.
Photo courtesy of Travis182/Shutterstock
