Sunardi, Mihrobi Khalwatu Rihmi, Eko Sulkhany, Fuad, Muammar Kadhafi
Small-scale purse seine fisheries are a vital component of the economy and food security in East Java, Indonesia, but they also expose fishers to significant occupational hazards. The objective of this study was to identify and prioritize operational safety hazards and to assess ecological risk proxies (bycatch and fish maturity) in purse seine operations at small fishing ports in East Java. A combination of frequency and severity indices (a semi-quantitative Frequency Index-Severity Index (FI-SI) approach) was used to evaluate safety hazards, while bycatch and fish maturity data were analyzed to assess ecological risks. The results showed that incidents such as rope burns, slips, and entanglement were frequent but of low severity. Additionally, bycatch rates were minimal, with most of the catch being mature fish. The study highlights that while operational efficiency is high, safety risks remain a concern, particularly during net handling and hauling operations. The findings underscore the need for enhanced safety protocols and improved regulatory compliance to ensure both worker safety and ecological sustainability. This research contributes to the understanding of occupational risks in small-scale fisheries and offers a framework for integrating safety and sustainability in artisanal fisheries management. Because FI-SI scoring relies on reported experience and local operating conditions, risk levels should be interpreted as relative priorities within the studied ports. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of specific safety interventions and exploring the long-term impacts of these practices (including climate-related changes in sea conditions and work patterns) on fishers and marine ecosystems. © 2026 The authors. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Department of Marine and Fisheries Resources Utilization, Fisheries and Marine Science Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 60111, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, 54150, South Korea
