Resilience of Kebumen Regency fishers in facing the uncertainty of the fishing season

Kebumen Regency is one of the regions on the South Coast of Central Java which has rich marine resources, both in the form of geological diversity of water areas, diversity of water resources, and cultural diversity. Fishers are one of the livelihoods of people in this area. Livelihoods as fishers are very dependent on the seasonal fish resources in the sea. This study aimed to analyze the socio-economic aspects of fishers in Kebumen Regency related to the uncertainty of the fishing season, identify various alternative jobs that are carried out and provide recommendations for improving the welfare of fishermen. The research was conducted through field observations and literature reviews. The data were subjected to financial analysis, descriptive analysis of alternative jobs and analysis of strength, weaknesses, opportunity, and threats. The research results state that although the value of fisheries production is relatively high, the local fishers's economy is still categorized as poor. Alternative types of work carried out by fishers are livestock (46%), farming (17%), basketry (13%), coconut tapping (8%) and others (8%). Recommendations for strategies to improve fishers' welfare include cooperation in fishing communities, developing fishing technology, diversifying the by-catch processing methods and technologies, fisheries-based marine tourism, forming fishers's cooperatives as a source of capital, and utilizing other natural resources outside the fisheries sector.