Marsoedi

Fishermen And Fish Farmers Household Economy Around Coal Mining Of Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan, Indonesia

This study was aimed at analyzing the fishermen and the fish farmers household economic conditions living around the coal mining activity site and comparing them to those living in the site of no coal mining activity. Tanah Laut Regency has many fishermen and fish farmers and there are also coal mining activities.The study found that the mining companies operating on the study site was small-scaled companies, but that operating around the villages was large-scaled one. This mining operations contribute to the carrying capacity of environmental conditions, especially fish farming activities. Shrimp pond activities in the study area have always failed in the last several years that caused the fishermen and the fish farmers have to move to other work in order to meet their household economic needs and even there were some fish ponds sold.The small-scaled coal mining companies in this area have not conducted the empowerment program for surrounding communties despite providing some non-skill working opportunies for few local people, such as security staff and other loading and unlouding labors.Small-scaled fishermen (<5GT) of Muara Kintap village, particularly danish seine bottom fish and shrimp danish seine fishermen, were not directly affected by the mining activities, because their fishing grounds were in the lane of 3-6 miles, but for traditional smale-scaled fishermen with the fishing ground less than 3 miles, it is potential to have conflict in utilizing the coastal areas. In general, average monthly income of small-scaled fishermen in Muara Kintap was higher than those in Bawah Layung, Kurau District. Thirteen percent of the fishermen have monthly incomebelow the labor minimum wage of South Kalimantan, and all belonged to traditional small-scaled fishermen having limited access to the aquatic resources.