The Poverty Puddles of the Cage Fishing Community at Limboto Lake Coast, Indonesia

This study analyzed the root causes of poverty in the cage fishing community at Limboto Lake; economic potentials; government programs related to poverty alleviation that has existed along with the causes of failure to exclude the cage fishing community from poverty puddles; and priority ideas from the fishing community that can overcome existing poverty puddles. Data collection was done through observation, interviews, focused group discussion, and literature review. The results showed that there are many aspects of the root causes of the poverty of fishing community at Limboto Lake coastal, namely policies that do not favor fishing community; low quality of human resources; the attitude of fast satisfied fishers; consumptive lifestyle; marketing of fish crops through intermediaries; and natural factors. Meanwhile, the real, local potentials are fisheries potential; crafts of water hyacinth based; lake tourism; the potential of water resources; and the potential for limestone as a raw material for cement. Several government programs related to poverty reduction failed to free the cage fishermen community from the puddle of poverty. Firstly; the program is project-oriented that emphasized the project administration rather than the target of releasing fishers from poverty; secondly, elite dominations, so that sure fishermen elites more enjoy the existing programs on behalf of their community. The priority idea of the fishing community to overcome existing problems is to increase knowledge and skills. Increasing utilization of lake biological resources; open access to domestic and international markets; developing opportunities for alternative economic activities around the lake area; the establishment of a local organization of lake lovers; processing domestic waste, and assisting the business of fish cultivation in Limboto Lake.