Ecological–Economic Trade‐Offs of Alternative Fishing Gears in Indonesia's Blue Swimming Crab ( Portunus pelagicus ) Fishery

ABSTRACT Although policies for the blue swimming crab (BSC) fishery have been implemented in Indonesia, the availability of this resource remains uncertain. This paper examines the technical and socio‐economic factors influencing BSC production, which were determined from trip data collected during the outings of 282 fishers using gillnets and crab traps in Cirebon, Demak and Rembang, Indonesia. A Cobb–Douglas production function was estimated using both ordinary least squares (OLS) and two‐stage least squares (2SLS) to examine production determinants, with key variables drawn from ecological and socio‐economic data. Labour ( β = 0.65) and capital ( β = 0.22) had considerable positive effects on catch, while the cost of fishing ( β = 0.21) was similarly positively correlated with production. In contrast, one economic variable was negatively correlated with production. This trade‐off is explained by the indirect nature of traps, which produce higher catches but require greater effort intensity and result in greater ecological pressure than gillnets. These results indicate that gear selection, effort intensity and socio‐economic limitations co‐determine ecological‐economic outcomes, provide unexpected support for BSC production, and justify differentiated gear regulation that should prioritize productivity over ecological stability.