The Impact of Blue Economy Implementation on the Global Competitive Advantage of South Bali Fishermen: The Role of Sustainable Fisheries as a Mediating Variable

Luh Kemala Putri Widhiari (Bali State Polytechnic, Bukit Jimbaran, Badung, Bali, Indonesia)
Eldian Rinaldi (Bali State Polytechnic, Bukit Jimbaran, Badung, Bali, Indonesia)
Leni Anggraini Susanti (Bali State Polytechnic, Bukit Jimbaran, Badung, Bali, Indonesia)
I Nyoman Hendra Laksmana (Bali State Polytechnic, Bukit Jimbaran, Badung, Bali, Indonesia)
Ni Putu Ritra Trees Ari Kartika Hadi Saraswati (Bali State Polytechnic, Bukit Jimbaran, Badung, Bali, Indonesia)
Ketut Vini Elfarosa (Bali State Polytechnic, Bukit Jimbaran, Badung, Bali, Indonesia)

JURNAL ECONOMINA
Vol. 5 No. 8 (2026): JURNAL ECONOMINA, Agustus 2026

This study aims to analyze the effect of blue economy principles on the global competitive advantage of mud crab (Scylla spp.) fishers in the Tahura Ngurah Rai area, South Bali, with sustainable fisheries as a mediating variable, amid challenges following the Benoa oil spill incident. This quantitative explanatory research involved 100 fishers selected through purposive sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (SEM- PLS). The results show that blue economy implementation has a significant positive effect on global competitive advantage, both directly (β=0.430; p<0.001) and indirectly through sustainable fisheries (indirect effect=0.204; p<0.001), which also acts as a partial mediator, explaining 52.2% of the variance in global competitive advantage. Importance- Performance Map analysis identifies capture operations, institutional integration, and biosecurity standards as priority areas for improvement. These findings underscore the importance of integrating blue economy and sustainable fisheries as a strategy to enhance the competitiveness of small- scale fishers in global markets.