Jurnal Perikanan Universitas Gadjah Mada
Vol 28, No 1 (2026)

Navigating the Waters of Authority: Civil-Military Relations in the Securitization of Coastal and Fisheries Resources in Cilacap Regency

Haposan Simatupang (Military Campaign Study, Republic Indonesia Defense University, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia)
Margaretha Hanita (School of Strategic and Global Studies, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Mukti Aprian (Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Akhmad Nurhijayat (Study Program of Coastal and Marine Resources Management, IPB University, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
25 May 2026

Abstract

This study aims to understand how complex coastal and fisheries systems can function effectively and achieve adequate system resilience. It examines a coastal region in Indonesia (Cilacap Regency) the only coastal area in the country characterized by overlapping civilian and military authority and a history of conflict. By integrating a social-ecological systems approach with the context of civil-military relations, this study identifies key variables shaping coastal and fisheries resource governance. These variables are subsequently used to determine the primary drivers of coastal and fisheries resilience, develop a coastal city resilience model, and formulate policy recommendations for government and resource management actors. Methodologically, the study employs Social Network Analysis (SNA) to identify and map key variables and uses Qualitative Network Modelling and Simulation (QNMS) to evaluate different governance configurations in terms of economic stability and overall system resilience. The findings reveal a clear trade-off: military-dominated governance enhances short-term law enforcement effectiveness, particularly in suppressing illegal fishing practices, but undermines inter-agency coordination, actor trust, and the role of non-state actors. In contrast, collaborative and civilian-led governance scenarios yield more balanced and stable outcomes across ecological, economic, and social dimensions. These findings contribute to the collaborative governance literature by demonstrating that sustainable fisheries governance depends on positioning the military proportionally as a supporting rather than dominant actor, as well as on integrating enforcement capacity with participatory mechanisms to strengthen long-term social-ecological resilience.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jfs

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Immunology & microbiology

Description

Jurnal Perikanan Universitas Gadjah Mada are published to promote a critical review of the various investigative issues of interest in the field of fisheries between the researchers, academics, students and the general public, as a medium for communication, dissemination, and utilization of wider ...