An Economic Situation of Artisanal Fishery in East Java and Madura Island

Fisheries in Madura generally remain still more undeveloped in comparison with East Java. Any fishing and fish farming are adhere to the traditional ways as shown in typical poor fishing facilities and equipment resulting in low productivity and low fish price and low income, however, these situations are going to be rapidly changed. Fishing households depend mainly on artisanal fisheries due to less employment opportunities. Their family members are much more than the family in the town, and their activities play an important role to supplement their livelihood economy. Such situation found in fishing households causes an overcrowded use of coastal fishing ground and a strain between their artisanal fisheries and more effective ones. Large part of the catch from small scale fisheries is sold directly in the rural market through negotiation by women of fishing household to rural inhabitants at remarkable low price. The amount of expenditure is very low due to low income, and they spend majority of their income for foodstuff and daily commodity, in consequence, they have a few life facility and few durable consuming goods. Since the latter of the '70's, the rapid fisheries progress have achieved being supported mainly by the government and by fish price more steeply rised than in general prices