Implementation of Blue Economy in Overcoming Technological Limitations and Global Market Access to Improve Fishermen’s Welfare in Pasuruan Regency

Abstract

Pasuruan Regency has great coastal development potential, yet local fishermen continue to face limitations in fishing technology, weak access to global markets, and inadequate branding of coastal creative products, which contribute to persistent poverty and low competitiveness. This study aims to analyze the strategic role of blue economy implementation in overcoming these obstacles to enhance fishermen’s welfare in Pasuruan. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with fishermen and local policymakers. The findings indicate that technological limitations confine fishing activities to small-scale operations, resulting in low productivity and unstable income, while weak market access and poor branding hinder the competitiveness of coastal creative products in regional and international markets. However, opportunities emerge through the blue economy framework, emphasizing environmentally friendly technological modernization, product branding reinforcement, and cooperative development as gateways to global partnerships. These findings are consistent with previous research that highlights the importance of technology, institutional support, and international collaboration in driving sustainable coastal economic development. The study concludes that the implementation of the blue economy has strong potential to improve the welfare of fishermen through innovation, improved branding, and expanded access to global markets, requiring policy support to strengthen cooperatives, facilitate product certification, and build broader global partnership networks.