THE DUMAI CITY GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE LIVELIHOOD SYSTEM OF FISHING COMMUNITIES

Abstract

There has been a decrease and increase in the number of fishermen in the last 5 years
which is thought to be caused by the development of an industrial area on the coast of
Dumai City. This paper aims to determine the socio-economic conditions of the fishing
communities adjacent to the Dumai City industrial area, analyze the impact of industrial
development on the livelihoods of fishing communities, and analyze the Dumai City
Government policies in ensuring the sustainability of the livelihoods of fishing
communities. This research was conducted using a survey method with a quantitative
approach located in Dumai City on March - April 2021. This study reveals that the
positive impact of industrial development in the coastal area of Dumai City is the
increased consumption of capture fishery products in Dumai City and the availability of
wide employment opportunities according to the level of education required, while the
negative impact of industrial development in the coastal area of Dumai City is the
increasingly narrow fishermen's catching areas that are in accordance with the type of
boat and the type of fishing gear currently used and the occurrence of livelihood shifts.
This negative impact can threaten the sustainability of the fishermen's livelihood system
in Dumai City because based on the identification of socio-economic conditions,
fishermen in Dumai City have lower middle income. Based on the SWOT analysis, the
alternative policy that can be carried out by the Dumai City government in ensuring the
sustainability of the livelihood system of the fishing community is to carry out a capture
fisheries area development program as well as fostering Joint Business Groups with
fishermen and the formation of fishermen's cooperatives.