Environmental Communication and Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Sustainable Fisheries Livelihoods and Coastal Resource Governance on Labengki Island, Indonesia

Abstract

The goal of this study was to analyze multi-stakeholder collaboration in environmental communication in developing sustainable marine tourism in Labengki Island, North Konawe Regency, as a means of supporting coastal fisheries livelihoods and improving the social economy of Labengki Island’s small islands. A qualitative exploratory approach was used, with a case study design. Thematic analysis was conducted in NVivo using software, whilst Actor-Network Analysis (ANA) — an approach adapted from Actor-Network Theory (ANT) — was used to map relationships between human and non-human actors. Participative observation, in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and document analysis were conducted to gather data from 20 informants including local government officials, tourism business actors, local communities, and tourists. The results show that collaboration among stakeholders is established but remains sectoral and has not yet integrated into a common governance framework. The main coordination mechanisms are social relations and informal communication structures such as village deliberation forums, tourism awareness group (Pokdarwis) meetings, and basic digital communication platforms. Although environmental communication plays a significant role in building collective awareness, its application remains insufficient, particularly in waste management and environmental conservation. A pattern of fragmented social-relational collaborative governance is evident, characterized by weak institutional integration, inequitable benefit sharing, and limited environmental management capacity. Beyond institutional fragmentation, the quality of environmental communication and social relations is crucial for the sustainable development of marine tourism in small island regions, as these constitute the primary coordination mechanisms. Keywords: Multi-stakeholder collaboration, environmental communication, collaborative governance, sustainable marine tourism, coastal governance.