Tadris IPA Biology UIN Mataram collaborated with Kementerian Kelautan Perikanan (KKP) Republik Indonesia and Ornatas Company, Australia Visits Lobster Aquaculture Development on Lombok Island
✎ Muhsinul Ihsan 🕒 17 Juli 2023
Lombok-Program Studi (Prodi) Tadris IPA Biologi FTK UIN Mataram collaborated with Kementerian Kelautan Perikanan (KKP) Republik Indonesia and Ornatas Company, Australia. Muhsinul Ihsan, S.Si., M.Sc, who is a lecturer at Prodi Tadris IPA Biologi, Bayu Priyambodo, Ph.D, who is a lobster coordinator in KKP, John Breen and Lachland Davison, who are Manager Farm and Nursery Leader Team respectively at Ornatas Company conducted an amazing lobster journey around Lombok Island for three days, starting from Friday, 14 July 2023 to Sunday, 15 July 2023.
Ornatas Company is a local lobster farm which is located in Townsville, Australia. It collaborates with Tasmania University for 20 years to conduct research in terms of lobster breeding, with an allocation budget was around 15 million Australian dollars (Rp.150 miliar). That research was absolutely pretty challenging but finally, this company and its partner succeed in producing 100.000 lobster seeds of Panulirus ornatus (lobster mutiara) per year in their hatchery. Nowadays, they are eager to find the best cultivation method for lobster seeds in ponds, keep these lobsters until reach a market size (1 Kg/each lobster), and become the first company for selling the lobster seeds produced from hatchery and at the same time producing the lobster aquaculture products.
The main goal of this journey is to transfer knowledge between the two countries regarding the experiences of producing lobster seeds in the hatchery, the management of the lobster farm in the pond in Australia, the history of lobsters aquaculture in Lombok, the methods of lobster seeds collection in Lombok, nursery farm and grow-out process, packaging lobsters technic, market and price of lobsters, and business chain of lobsters around the worldwide.
In the first day, there were several agenda of the journey, namely: Visit the main campus of UIN Mataram and introduce the profile of Prodi Tadris IPA Biologi FTK UIN Mataram, visited Lombok Marine Aquaculture Development Center (MADC) in Sekotong West Lombok, and observed the lobster seeds collection method in Selong Belanak Beach.
In the next day, the team arrived in Gerupuk Bay in the morning to acquire the lobster seed collection, the nursery method, and the grow-out process. The journey, thereafter, observed the 'pocong' (the instrument for collecting lobster seeds) and interviewed some farmers who collect the lobster seeds. The last agenda on that day was the observation of grow-out of lobsters in Sawung Beach, East Lombok.
On Sunday morning, the team went to Teelong-Elong Bay, Jerowaru, East Lombok, for seeing the lobster grow-out farm, lobster packaging process, and business lobster chain. On that final day, John and Lachland gave and exchange their experiences in Australia with four students from Airlangga University and Brawijaya University. They discussed their activities in the hatchery and the challenges in lobster breeding.
This collaboration is really beneficial for both countries for generating lobster research ideas and boosting the production of lobster aquaculture. (ISN)