How Financial and Institutional Support Structures Affect Welfare of Traditional Fishers in Mattirosompe?

This study aims to analyze the influence of fisher organizations, financial institutions, extension services, and mentoring on the welfare of traditional capture fishermen in Mattirosompe District, Pinrang Regency, South Sulawesi. Fishermen in this area typically use simple equipment and small boats that accommodate 2-4 people. A total of 100 traditional fishermen were selected as the research sample. Linear regression was used to measure the influence of the four independent variables on fishermen’s welfare. The results show that financial institutions and mentoring have a significant positive effect on fishermen’s welfare, with coefficients of 0.576 and 0.868, respectively, indicating that these factors are the main determinants of welfare improvement. Conversely, extension services have a significant negative effect with a coefficient of -0.560, while fisher organizations show no statistically significant influence. The model’s R-square value of 0.718 indicates that 71.8% of the variance in fishermen’s welfare can be explained by the independent variables studied. This research concludes that financial institutions and mentoring programs play a crucial role in improving the welfare of traditional fishermen, while extension services require re-evaluation to ensure more positive impacts in the future. The study provides recommendations for the government and relevant agencies to strengthen the role of financial institutions and mentoring in enhancing the quality of life of traditional fishermen.