SummaryIn 1987 there were 18,800 households on the Mahakam floodplain. Of these, 5,800 were full‐time and 6,200 arttime fishermen, with the remainder full‐time farmers. Daily and seasonal catch levels were variabfe aid related to water level changes. Catches raned between 1.84 and 5.7t person‐1year‐1for full‐time and between 0.97 and 1.6 t person‐1year‐1for part‐time fishermen. Earnings per person from fishing averaged respectively R. 1,400,000 and Rp. 400,000 in 1987, comprising 75–95% and 33–85 % of their total income. Overall labour input per person was 287 days year‐1and 5.04 hours day‐1for full‐time and 250–265 days year‐1and 5.12 hours day‐1for part‐time fishermen. The proportions that came from fishery‐related activities were resectively 25–60 % and 10–25 %. Labour requirements to clean, salt and dry one kilogram o