Improving knowledge and skill on post harvesting and processing of medicinal plants

197 A survey on the community socio-economic of the district of coral reef rehabilitation and management program COREMAP of Sikka, Flores Vincentius Repu 1, 1 Faculty of Economics of Widya Mandira Catholic University, Kupang, 85225 Indonesia Corresponding author: vincentiusryahoo.com Abstract This study aims to collect baseline data on the social, cultural and economic of the community with regard to the utilization of marine resources.In a more specific purpose is to give a general picture of the location of Coremap, human resources conditions, the community welfare and income levels as well as the factors that influence it.This study was conducted in Sikka District. There were eight Villages of the district that were taken as samples, i.e Wuring, Wolomarang, Lewomada, Parumaan, Kojadoi, Sikka, Mbengu and Pruda. Study results revealed that Sikka region has a fairly wide expanse of reefs, which are scattered in the southern territorial waters and in the waters of the northern region of the district Gulf Maumere.In the northern region, most of the stretch of coral reefs have been damaged, especially during the last 10 years. The coral reefs damage was caused by natural disasters and human being.Natural disasters that destroy coral reefs is the earthquake and tsunami that occurred on December 12, 1992, while the damage caused by human include: catching marine resources by using bombs and poisons, the use of fishing gear that is not environmentally friendly trawling and forest clearing.Most of the population of the sample villages are fishermen fish catch and cultivation fishermen. During the last 10 years the catch has been perceived decline as a result of the destruction of the coral reef ecosystem.Due to a decrease of the catch, most fishermen in the region of small islands in the 2000s have switched from catch fishermen to fishing cultivation. Most of them are on the business of seaweed. While other fishermen switch in to other businesses that not related to fishing, such as trading and public transportation.The shift of occupation from from fishing to seaweed cultivation is due to potentials of seaweed of the region.The fishermenhave the skills to do the seaweed business.The seaweed business is growing due to good transportation and the market is quite promising.Most of the population are traditional fishermen with modest fleet canoes without motors and limited access to capital resources.Until now the production of the seaweed is still low. This leads to the low level of the people welfare.The per capita income of the sample villages is Rp 509,013 per month which is below the average per capita income of the district, i.e. Rp 2,274,653. While the minimum income per capita per month is Rp 108,333 and the maximum income per capita per month is Rp 21,716,667. This shows a quite wide gap