ABSTRACT
It is the common belief that the Orang Laut are passively dependent on their natural environment for their resources, not producing but simply extracting whatever they can from an unmodified environment in order to survive. It is this belief that has constituted a major reason behind the Indonesian government’s denial of the Orang Laut’s territorial rights. The focus of this chapter is on the fishing economy of the mariners. It demonstrates the meaning of production for them, and in particular that fishing is a planned action that is willfully performed in fulfillment of intended purposes. Not only do they organize their fishing activities and form working partnerships to obtain the best yield, but it is not uncommon for them to plan for amounts of catch to be harvested from the sea prior to their fishing trips. More than ever, they have an increasing desire to plan for surpluses so that they will be able to engage in external trade to increase their income. Furthermore, this chapter presents the wealth of their fishing assets: their ownership of means of production, range of material and intellectual technology to obtain their catch. Finally, it shows that economic decisions maximize their livelihood and are deeply embedded in social relations.
