RADAR TULUNGAGUNG – Tulungagung fish catch volumes fell sharply in 2025 as extreme weather and stalled lobster seed regulations disrupted fishing activity along East Java’s southern coast, officials said.

Data from the Tulungagung Fisheries Agency and the statistics office show total catch reached 9,788.4 tons in 2025. The figure dropped from 14,857 tons in 2024 and stayed well below earlier years except 2023, when catches plunged to 6,032 tons.

Ulul Azmi, head of capture fisheries management, said fishermen only enjoyed a short harvest window from April to August 2025. The peak came in August, when weather stayed relatively hot and stable. After that, conditions turned erratic with frequent rain and waves reaching up to three meters.

Outside that period, fishermen struggled to predict sea conditions. As a result, many reduced trips to protect safety and control fuel costs. “Fishermen decide carefully when to sail,” Ulul said.

Weather pressure affected the entire southern coast of East Java. However, 2025 also brought a major regulatory shock. Lobster seed farming and capture in Tulungagung stopped completely because authorities issued no quotas and export demand stalled under new national rules.

Ulul said the fisheries office has not issued lobster seed origin certificates because regulations remain unclear and misaligned with market needs. Without legal certainty, local operators cannot restart activity.

He urged the central government to review export policies, especially lobster seed quotas. The southern coast holds strong lobster potential, but fishermen risk losing export income if regulations remain rigid. “If quotas do not match field realities, our fishermen lose economic opportunity,” he said.