Investigating the Policy Priority of Sustainable Livelihood of Small-Scale Fishing Household: Evidence During the Pandemic from Prigi Bay, Trenggalek, Indonesia

Abstract

The development of coastal fisheries in the Trenggalek regency area is growing rapidly due to technological advancement. Technology has become a stimulant for the community in utilizing fishery resources. The sustainability of the livelihoods of fishing communities in Prigi Bay in 2019 was analyzed using the sustainable livelihood approach (SLA), showing that social capital during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced changes in social and economic aspects. According to previous SLA results, this study examines the policy priorities of small-scale fishing households in Prigi Bay. This study investigates the policy priorities to improve the sustainability of fishers’ livelihoods using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) criteria. The analysis results indicate that local culture is consequential and greatly impacts household sustainability. It is due to the custom, which maintains culture of not going to catch fish on Fridays. The culture has not been drafted as a local regulation. Therefore, the local government should draft regional regulations regarding the clean sea program on Fridays that all coastal communities must follow. It will affect the fishers’ sustainable livelihood because production activities are not only in the sea but also outside the sea. For example, people could perform off-fishing activities such as planting crops and maintaining social relationships with family or neighbours.