The Dynamic of Fishermen’s Income and the Influencing Factors on the West and East Coasts of Sumatra Island

Abstract Indonesia is known as a ‘Paradise under the Sea,’ with the richness and beauty of its coral reefs. This ecosystem is an important asset that has high economic value and a potential source of community income. However, this wealth has not been utilized optimally by coastal communities, especially fishermen. This is backed by their poor economic conditions. This paper discusses the dynamic of fishermen’s income and the influencing factors on the West and East Coasts of Sumatra Island. The fishermen’s income on both coasts is dominated by income from capture fisheries, which fluctuates throughout the year. The income of east coast fishermen is higher and more varied than west coast fishermen. This paper identifies three factors that influence the differences: 1) technological capacity of the fishermen’s fleet and fishing gear, 2) fish marketing and seasonal variations throughout the year, along with the degradation of coastal resources, and 3) policies and programs for fishermen’s empowerment and development in coastal areas. This paper uses quantitative and qualitative methods from the assessment of social aspects of coral reefs conducted by the COREMAP LIPI team. The authors also utilize secondary data from related documents, research results, papers and books.