Establishment of Fisheries Refugia in Thailand:
Background and Situation Analysis to Support

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Stakeholder mapping and analysis

The importance of community participation in natural resource and environmental management in Thailand has become increasingly recognized. Creating opportunities and an enabling environment to support the participation of all sectors in the development process is one of the main strategies of planning to support this. In providing more opportunity for local communities and people to participate actively in natural resource and environmental management, the following guidelines are promoted at the national policy level:

• Providing opportunities for people and communities to participate in decision-making, monitoring, and evaluation of public development projects likely to have an impact on natural resources and the environment. The government should facilitate continual public discussion at every stage of those projects such as initiation, preparation, and implementation.

• Providing legal quarantines of the rights of local communities and small-scale fisherfolk to participate in coastal resource management, as well as the conservation, rehabilitation, and maintenance of mangrove forests, seagrass and coral reefs, to ensure sustainable use of coastal resources, especially those related to the fishing industry.

As such, in order to achieve the sustainable utilization of coastal resources, upgrading the capacities of rural communities for economic and social development and for the conservation of natural resources and the environment has become the key element. The private sector working for public interests in the area of natural resources and environmental protection and conservation can be found in the form of foundations, associations, projects, clubs, or other formal groups. In general, they can be categorized as Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) registered with the government; NGOs not registered with the government; business firms; and People’s Organisations.

The initial planning of this project identified 60 NGOs working on natural resources and environmental protection and conservation that are registered with the Government. Under the Enhancement and Conservation of the National Environmental Quality Act of 1992 (Section 8), registered NGOs can obtain support from government agencies, including loans from the environmental fund. In this respect, they are required to submit the proposals, by stating the objectives, plans, project duration, and proposed budget, and then apply for them from the environmental fund. Fisheries and coastal community-based management in Thailand are mainly carried out with the support of NGOs, particularly in southern Thailand.

Although fishery and coastal management programs in Thailand are carried out by governmental, non-governmental, and people’s organizations, they normally share the following goals or objectives:

• Create awareness of local communities in the sustainable management of coastal resources;

• Build up and strengthen local capacities in the conservation and rehabilitation of coastal resources; and

• Encourage coordination among local communities, local government agencies, and NGOs.

Concerning fishery and coastal resource protection and conservation, the main NGOs working in these areas are the Volunteer for Society Fund, Lae Tai Project, Southern Small-Scale Fisheries Association, Yad Fon Association, and Wildlife Fund Thailand. Acting as the supporting and facilitating organizations in various mechanisms, financially and/or academically, there are various NGOs and POs working in association with them. The programs can be implemented as sub-projects in which the above key NGOs are the executing agencies. There are also various businesses and private organisations working directly with collective activities, and indirectly through provision of financial support. Private organizations dealing with coral reefs include the Siam Diving Association, the Thai Diver Company, and other local business groups. Their activities are conducted along Thailand’s coasts, often in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, National Park officers from the Royal Forestry Department, and local academic institutions