Aquaculture, or aquatic farming, has become a vital sector in the global food industry. Apart from providing a sustainable source of protein, aquaculture also offers promising business opportunities. One commodity that is attracting attention is freshwater lobster, or more commonly known as crayfish. Despite its great potential, freshwater lobster farming is still not widely adopted, especially in Indonesia. This article will explore the business potential of freshwater lobster farming based on an interview with one of the business players in Pekanbaru (Nanda Hasanul Amri, Susilo Putro).

The unique creature from distant waters

Freshwater lobsters, particularly from the genus Cherax, are not native to Indonesia. Their natural habitats are spread across Australia, Papua New Guinea, and West Papua. One popular species for cultivation is Cherax quadricarinatus, also known as the "red claw." Although not a native species, freshwater lobsters have become part of Indonesia's aquatic ecosystem and are even considered an invasive species in some areas.

Centers of freshwater lobster farming in indonesia

Indonesia has several freshwater lobster farming centers spread across various regions:

1. Gayo Highlands

The Gayo Highlands, comprising several districts, have a few farmers and the potential to become a center for freshwater lobster farming development. The Gayo Highlands region has excellent water quality, making it suitable for freshwater lobster farming. However, the local government has regulations prohibiting freshwater lobster farming in Lake Laut Tawar.

2. Lake Maninjau, Agam Regency, West Sumatra

Defrizal has been cultivating freshwater lobsters in Lake Maninjau since 2017. In addition to cultivating them using the Floating Net Cage (KJA) system in Lake Maninjau, he also cultivates freshwater lobsters in land-based ponds. Dafrizal details that his freshwater lobster farming business caters to the consumption, seed, and ornamental fish enthusiast segments.

3. Other regions with good inland water quality

Areas in Indonesia such as West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Bali, East Java, and Yogyakarta also have farmers and developing freshwater lobster farming businesses. Moreover, these areas also have good market access as they are popular tourist destinations in Indonesia.

Freshwater lobster farming facilities at Umabu Farm

The appeal of freshwater lobsters

Freshwater lobsters have diverse appeal, from aesthetics and cultivation to business. For the general public, the unique shape and color of freshwater lobsters are the main attraction. Meanwhile, for farmers, the ease of care, disease resistance, and high selling price are also major attractions.

According to an interview with the owner of Umabu Farm in Pekanbaru, several factors attracted him to cultivate freshwater lobsters, including:

• Ease of cultivation; Freshwater lobsters are relatively easy to cultivate, even for beginners.
• Low feed costs; Freshwater lobsters can be fed alternative feeds such as vegetables and meat, reducing production costs.
• Wide market; Freshwater lobsters can be sold in two different markets, namely the ornamental fish market and the consumption fish market.
• Limited land required; Freshwater lobster farming can be done on limited land, even in house yards.
• Low mortality rate; Freshwater lobsters have a relatively low mortality rate compared to other aquaculture commodities.
• Resistant to diseases and weather; Freshwater lobsters have good resistance to diseases and weather changes.
• High selling price; Freshwater lobsters have a high selling price, both in the local and international markets.

A promising business opportunity

Although still not widely adopted, the freshwater lobster farming business has enormous potential. Market demand, both for consumption and ornamental fish, continues to increase. Meanwhile, the supply of freshwater lobsters from wild catches cannot guarantee market continuity. Additionally, freshwater lobsters also have high export potential. Although there is no data detailing the domestic consumption needs and export volume of Indonesian freshwater lobsters.

However, for saltwater lobsters, according to data from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Indonesian lobster exports in 2024 reached 1,335.84 tons with a value of US$ 36.322 million. This figure shows an increase of 16.5% compared to the previous year. The main export destination countries include the United States, China, and Japan.

The price of consumption-sized freshwater lobsters (approximately 15 pieces per kilogram) can reach Rp 200,000 per kilogram. The market for freshwater lobsters in Indonesia comes from big cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, and Batam. Meanwhile, restaurants that offer freshwater lobster dishes in Indonesia are still relatively rare.

Freshwater lobster seeds: Umabu Farm

Challenges and development strategies

Although promising, the freshwater lobster farming business also has its own challenges. One of the main challenges is patience and consistency. Freshwater lobsters take a considerable amount of time, about 7-8 months, to reach consumption size. Therefore, farmers must be patient and consistent in caring for freshwater lobsters until they are ready for harvest.

In addition, another challenge faced is the lack of knowledge and technical skills in freshwater lobster farming. To overcome this, training and mentoring for farmers are needed, both from the government and the private sector.

To develop the freshwater lobster farming business, appropriate strategies are crucial. One strategy that can be implemented is establishing partnerships with various parties, such as the government, universities, and private companies. These partnerships can help farmers in terms of access to capital, technology, and marketing. Besides that, it is also very important to innovate in freshwater lobster farming. Innovation can be done in various aspects, such as cultivation technology, feed, and processing of harvested products.

Currently, Umabu Farm is focusing on the freshwater lobster seed supply segment (hatchery). The seed production generated each month is approximately 3,000 pieces. The seeds sold are on average 1 inch in size with an average selling price of Rp 2,000 per piece.

In the future, Umabu Farm hopes to establish partnerships with communities interested in freshwater lobster farming. In Pekanbaru itself, the need for freshwater lobster seeds is still quite high, and it is also accompanied by a relatively large demand for the consumption segment, even demand from outside Pekanbaru. Hopefully, Umabu Farm can establish fair and responsible partnership cooperation.

Therefore, it can be concluded as the closing of this article that freshwater lobster farming is a business opportunity that is still very promising but is still not widely adopted by the general public. In fact, freshwater lobsters have many advantages, both in terms of cultivation and business. With the right strategies and support from various parties, freshwater lobster farming can become one of the leading sectors in the Indonesian aquaculture industry.