by: Anindita Sekar Jati (Seafood Savers Communication Assistant, WWF-Indonesia)

Food security depends on environmental sustainability. Without food security, it is impossible for humans to survive. It takes contributions from various parties to support sustainability for the common good.

With the current environmental conditions, food security is threatened by various things. In the fishing industry for example, massive exploitation threatens the sustainability of species, and often, irresponsible fishing methods also destroy natural habitats. Of course, every party has a stake in this.

Exploitation and habitat destruction are not only the responsibility of producers and fishermen, but also consumers who indirectly support it through increasing demand. The lobster commodity, for example, is popular as a delicious food ingredient, spurring demand to continue to increase. Blind demand sometimes provokes massive exploitation, even though lobsters have a fairly long cycle starting from the age of pups, which is 3-4 years, this can threaten the sustainability of the species. Not only exploitation, unfriendly fishing methods are also responsible for the destruction of the lobster's natural habitat.

In response to the issue, UD Pulau Mas, a company that has been involved in reef fisheries improvement efforts, registered its lobster commodity in Seafood Savers. The company, which has been a member of Seafood Savers for approximately two and a half years, is committed to improving its lobster fishery practices.

This commodity export company has been operating for more than ten years. With 2500 fishermen as members, UD Pulau Mas produces approximately forty tons of lobster annually. Supported by a fleet capacity of <3 GT, UD Pulau Mas fishermen conduct fishing activities using lobster snares. The live lobsters caught by UD Pulau Mas fishermen are then exported to Hong Kong as the main destination country.

By registering its lobster commodity into Seafood Savers, UD Pulau Mas will carry out a series of efforts to improve fisheries, in accordance with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. The efforts that will be implemented are expected to produce a responsible and sustainable production dynamic for all parties involved in this economic activity, from producers, commodities, to consumers. It is hoped that this first step will serve as an example for other fishing industries to continue to strive to improve fishing practices for species sustainability and food security for all.