Comparative social vulnerability of fishermen in the coastal area of Bengkulu and Central Java, Indonesia

This study examines and compares the social vulnerability of fishing communities involving various indicators and their determining factors. The fishing community is a group of poor people with limited economic resources and high dependence on marine resources. The coastal areas of Central Java and Bengkulu, Indonesia, have different coastal characteristics that influence the differences in the social vulnerability of fishermen in the two regions. This study involved 210 fishermen selected by purposive sampling with the criteria of one-day fishing fishermen and boat owners. The social vulnerability of fishermen in the coastal area of Bengkulu is higher than that on the coast of Central Java. This difference is due to a lower level of education and income. In addition, Bengkulu province is the second poorest region on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The social vulnerability of fishermen in the coastal area of Central Java is influenced by their participation in groups and by fishing distance. Meanwhile, the social vulnerability of fishermen in the coastal regions of Bengkulu is influenced by fishermen poverty.