Pengembangan Ekonomi Lokal melalui Budidaya Rumput Laut dalam Meningkatkan Perekonomian Masyarakat Pesisir

Pontap Village in Palopo City is one of the seaweed cultivation locations. The focus of developing this cultivation is to overcome the unemployment rate and increase community income. This study aims to provide an overview of the development of seaweed cultivation in improving the economy of coastal communities, especially around Pontap Village, Palopo City. The technical aspects of seaweed cultivation businesses make seaweed cultivation activities very popular with coastal communities, which are relatively easy with a short maintenance time. In contrast, from an economic aspect, this business is not just profitable but highly lucrative because the investment and production costs are relatively cheap. The type of seaweed that has economic value that is developed in Palopo City is the Gracilaria sp. type. So it can be concluded from the results of this study that seaweed cultivation efforts positively impact local communities' welfare. However, challenges related to the management of natural resources and environmental impacts need to be considered to maintain the sustainability of seaweed cultivation. This can be seen from the community's behavior in managing seaweed, which still ignores environmental factors. This certainly contradicts the concept of integrated coastal area conservation. These findings provide important insights for local stakeholders, government, and development practitioners.