Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular Malaysia

Poverty in small-scale fisheries is a global issue; most of the time, the solution to poverty is discussed through economic variables. Scholars highlight the contribution of social capital factors to the livelihoods of small-scale fishing communities and suggest that social aspects can be u...

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Main Authors: GAZI MD. NURUL ISLAM, TAI SHZEE YEW, MUHAMMAD ABRAR UL HAQ
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asian Fisheries Society 2023-03-01
Series:Asian Fisheries Science
Online Access:https://www.asianfisheriessociety.org/publication/downloadfile.php?id=1416&file=Y0dSbUx6QTJOamN5T1RFd01ERTJOemcwTURrd056Z3VjR1Jt
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author GAZI MD. NURUL ISLAM
TAI SHZEE YEW
MUHAMMAD ABRAR UL HAQ
author_facet GAZI MD. NURUL ISLAM
TAI SHZEE YEW
MUHAMMAD ABRAR UL HAQ
author_sort GAZI MD. NURUL ISLAM
collection DOAJ
description Poverty in small-scale fisheries is a global issue; most of the time, the solution to poverty is discussed through economic variables. Scholars highlight the contribution of social capital factors to the livelihoods of small-scale fishing communities and suggest that social aspects can be used as an alternative solution to reduce poverty. The concept of social capital has been extensively used to explain the relationship between social capital factors and wellbeing. The role of social capital in the well-being of small-scale fisher communities in Malaysia needs to be clarified. The current study investigates the contribution of various livelihood assets to the household income of small-scale fishers in Malaysia. Data for the survey were collected from 182 respondents from across multiple fishing villages on Langkawi Island, off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, using a structured questionnaire. The partial least square (PLS) technique was applied for statistical analysis. The study’s empirical findings depict that social capital, trust, job experience, and financial capital are important factors contributing to fishers' household income. The results show that the contribution of social capital and trust factors are significant to household income, indicating that social factors are essential in improving the well-being of small-scale fisher households in Malaysia. Policy for livelihood improvement of small-scale fisheries in Malaysia needs to prioritise investments in financial, human, natural and physical capital assets.
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spelling doaj.art-547f6fad60034447b29ab03724b147562023-03-10T01:14:24ZengAsian Fisheries SocietyAsian Fisheries Science0116-65142073-37202023-03-0136110.33997/j.afs.2023.36.1.004Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular MalaysiaGAZI MD. NURUL ISLAMTAI SHZEE YEWMUHAMMAD ABRAR UL HAQ Poverty in small-scale fisheries is a global issue; most of the time, the solution to poverty is discussed through economic variables. Scholars highlight the contribution of social capital factors to the livelihoods of small-scale fishing communities and suggest that social aspects can be used as an alternative solution to reduce poverty. The concept of social capital has been extensively used to explain the relationship between social capital factors and wellbeing. The role of social capital in the well-being of small-scale fisher communities in Malaysia needs to be clarified. The current study investigates the contribution of various livelihood assets to the household income of small-scale fishers in Malaysia. Data for the survey were collected from 182 respondents from across multiple fishing villages on Langkawi Island, off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, using a structured questionnaire. The partial least square (PLS) technique was applied for statistical analysis. The study’s empirical findings depict that social capital, trust, job experience, and financial capital are important factors contributing to fishers' household income. The results show that the contribution of social capital and trust factors are significant to household income, indicating that social factors are essential in improving the well-being of small-scale fisher households in Malaysia. Policy for livelihood improvement of small-scale fisheries in Malaysia needs to prioritise investments in financial, human, natural and physical capital assets.https://www.asianfisheriessociety.org/publication/downloadfile.php?id=1416&file=Y0dSbUx6QTJOamN5T1RFd01ERTJOemcwTURrd056Z3VjR1Jt
spellingShingle GAZI MD. NURUL ISLAM
TAI SHZEE YEW
MUHAMMAD ABRAR UL HAQ
Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular Malaysia
Asian Fisheries Science
title Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular Malaysia
title_full Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular Malaysia
title_fullStr Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular Malaysia
title_short Social Capital and Well-Being of Small-Scale Fishers in the West Coast Island of Peninsular Malaysia
title_sort social capital and well being of small scale fishers in the west coast island of peninsular malaysia
url https://www.asianfisheriessociety.org/publication/downloadfile.php?id=1416&file=Y0dSbUx6QTJOamN5T1RFd01ERTJOemcwTURrd056Z3VjR1Jt
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