The fishermen's socio-economic characteristics that support conservation among the community in Karimunjawa Marine Protected Area

Karimunjawa Island is part of the Karimunjawa Marine Protected Area, where the community mainly do fishing for living. It is necessary to understand the socio-economic characteristics of local communities on Karimunjawa Island in order to optimize the conservation of the area since adequate local community welfare helps achieve the conservation goals. This research gathered information from about the socio-economic characteristics of fishermen on Karimunjawa Island in relation to the conservation program. This research was conducted in July-August 2023, where primary data were collected through interviews with 234 respondents. Quantitative descriptive approach was employed in data analysis. Fishermen's profits were analyzed based on the BC ratio, which results revealed hand line as fishermen's main fishing gear with an average BC ratio of 2.39 in the normal season and a BC ratio of 7.47 in the peak season. Fishermen on Karimunjawa Island are multi-ethnic with low education background and strong respect for local figures. In terms of income, housing, energy sources, fresh water sources, access to education and health, the community could be regarded relatively prosperous. Fishermen there also have positive attitude towards conservation as they are aware that their welfare relies on the sustainability of the natural resources.