The objective of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the familial economy of household fisheries in 2 urban and 2 rural fishing villages of Pati Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. We analyzed the results of the socio-economic survey on 152 fishing owner households and 92 fishing labor households from the old and the young generations. Household fisheries in this area is still in a stage of transition from a subsistence to an exchange economy. In this stage social obligations in the family and in the community are strong, while contractual obligations of commercial type are unfamiliar. These communities are characterized by a high degree of cooperativeness and cohesion which are based on the spirit of "kekeluargaan" (familial principle). This spirit was moved by the motivating force of social justice which lead by the feeling of "malu" (shame) and "hutang budi" (to owe a favor). Their organization has a great potential power for the promotion of their self-reliance and participation in the development process.