Maritime Cosmology as a Framework for Sustainable Economic Governance: A Study of the Masela Island Community, Southwest Maluku

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-752-1_2How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Sustainable Economy; Local Wisdom; Marine Cosmology; Sasi; Ecological Conservation; Masela Island

Abstract

This study examines how the worldview of the people of Masila Island in southwest Maluku has led them towards a sustainable economy. TEK’s previous research on sustainable economic systems focused on conservation systems in agricultural and forestry communities. Several studies focus on marine cosmology as the ontological basis of sustainable economic systems in small island communities. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining marine cosmology as an important example of social resilience. Qualitative ethnographic methods were used in this research. Operates on Masila Island, southwest of Maluku. From August to December 2023, data was collected through in-depth interviews with 12 main participants, including traditional leaders, fishermen and women who utilize coastal resources. Thematic analysis was used to explore the data by participating in ritual observation and document analysis. Research examining cosmological patterns, environmental laws, and economic significance reveals that the Marcella people used a system of cultural containment by sea and land. Each system performs an ecological function and is based on traditional principles. The isabi system controls the use of natural resources through prohibitions that are valid for a limited period of time. This helps natural regeneration and also ensures the livelihood of local communities. Based on these findings, Kamal and Trang’s performance prioritizes environmental ethics and shared responsibility. I propose a Cosmological Policy for Island Stability (CPFIS) that includes a cosmological definition. The management and study of cultural ecosystems is consciously placed within a cosmologically based sustainable development strategy. This concept will be an important input in the process of developing water economic policy in Indonesia. This will help strengthen implementation of Sustainable Development Goals 8, 13 and 14.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Helmina Kastanya
AU  - Sudibyo Sudibyo
AU  - Sastri Sunarti
AU  - Sofwan Noerwidi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/04
TI  - Maritime Cosmology as a Framework for Sustainable Economic Governance: A Study of the Masela Island Community, Southwest Maluku
BT  - Proceedings of the9th International Conference on Business, Economics, Social Sciences & Humanities – Economics, Business and Management Track (ICOBEST-EBM 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 3
EP  - 13
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-752-1_2
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-752-1_2
ID  - Kastanya2026
ER  -