ADAPTATION OF TRAWING BOAT OPERATORS IN ECONOMIC CONTINUITY DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19 IN TANAH MERAH, SANDAKAN

Abstract

Trawl boat activity is one of the activities of catching marine life to meet the needs of seafood in the market and is a very important industry because fishing activity is the first sub-sector that contributes to the increase of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, the existence of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a big challenge for the fisheries sector not only in Malaysia but also in foreign countries. Therefore, this study focuses on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic with the activities of trawler companies among entrepreneurs, namely fishermen in Sandakan. This study was conducted to find out the perception and experience of trawler boat operators, as well as examine the adaptations taken by trawler boat operators to overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their economic viability. This study uses a qualitative approach which involves in-depth interviews with several informants who are trawler operators in Sandakan. The findings of the study show that the perception and experience shown by trawler boat operators are divided into three, namely before the pandemic, during the pandemic and after, which is in the form of experience and the results of the findings found that almost all of the study respondents gave the same perception about the impact of the pandemic on them. The second objective is the form of adaptation taken which is that there are two main forms, the first is based on past experience which is that entrepreneurs adapt to the impact of this pandemic using knowledge and past experience and prepare to face any possibility if the event occurs; and the second is with the form of practice, which is the usual steps taken to overcome the impact throughout the pandemic period. In conclusion, further research on the effectiveness of aid from the government in helping fishermen is very necessary. This is because the government aid factors are related to the form of adaptation taken by boat operators in Tanah Merah, Sandakan.