CHARACTERISTICS OF FISHERMEN COMMUNITY BEHAVIOR AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ECONOMIC LIFE OF HOUSEHOLDS IN PANGKAJENE KEPULAUAN REGENCY, SOUTH SULAWESI

Abstract Pangkajene Kepulauan Regency is one of the regencies in South Sulawesi that has 115 islands, with 73 inhabited and 42 uninhabited. Among these islands, there are four sub-districts located on the islands, namely Liukang Utara, Liukang Selatan, Kalmas, and Tangaya Districts. These four sub-districts have a population of 69,272 people. The main activity of the population, as much as 87%, is fishing, so the economic life of fishermen’s households depends on catching fish at sea and then selling them to intermediary traders or collecting traders. This study will examine in depth the factors that influence the economic life of fishermen households in these four sub-districts. This study is also highly relevant to identify the challenges faced by island fishermen and how they manage household life in an increasingly competitive economic condition. The results of this study can serve as a basis for designing government policies in building an economy that can support the transformation of community behavior domiciled on islands, in this case fishermen, with the orientation of eradicating poverty and stunting. The research findings related to the economic life of fishermen households in Liukang Utara and Selatan, Kalmas, and Tangaya Districts are: (1) Household income tends to fluctuate, depending on fish catches at sea; (2) High dependence on marine products without alternative sources of income; (3) Limited access to education, health, and other economic facilities; and (4) Some fishermen families are indebted to middlemen or financiers.Objective. This study aims to understand the behavioral characteristics of fishermen in Mattiro Baji Island and how these behaviors affect their household economic life. Method. This study uses the ex post facto method, which is research that measures behavioral events that occur in fishing communities. Data collection techniques include: observation, interviews, and questionnaires with fishermen in Pangkajene Kepulauan Regency. Samples were taken purposively in four sub-districts, namely Liukang Utara (60 fisherman households), Liukang Selatan (50 fisherman households), Kalmas (50 fisherman households), and Tangaya (40 fisherman households). Data analysis. The analysis used is the structural equation model (SEM) program and LISREL 8.54. This method aims to explore data in depth about fishermen’s behavior and character and also to measure the relationship between household economic variables.