Community’s Rights and Community’s Rights and Coastal Resource Coastal Resource

Management: Small-Scale Management: Small-Scale Fisherfolk’s Struggles and Fisherfolk’s Struggles and

Initiatives in Thailand Initiatives in Thailand

by Wichoksak Ronnarongpairee, by Wichoksak Ronnarongpairee, Federation of Southern Fisherfolk and Federation of Southern Fisherfolk and

Suppawan , the Coastal Zone Suppawan , the Coastal Zone Management Project Management – Management Project Management –

Sustainable Development Foundation Sustainable Development Foundation

We, the small-scale fisherfolks of Thailand believe that:

“God created the sea for all of us to sustain our lives. Therefore, we all have a shared responsibility to protect them together. The resources are for all of us, therefore no single individual can claim the ownership of the sea”

1.Background of the Thai 1.Background of the Thai SeaSea

• 23 Coastal provinces with a coastline of 2,815 kilometers (Gulf of Thailand: 1861 km,covering 17 provinces, Andaman Coast: 954 km - making fishery a very important sector in Thailand

Natural Resource and BiodiversityNatural Resource and Biodiversity

• Marine resource: over 2,000 fish varieties Marine resource: over 2,000 fish varieties accounted for 10 per cent of world fish stock, accounted for 10 per cent of world fish stock, shellfish of 2,000 varieties and other reptiles make shellfish of 2,000 varieties and other reptiles make up all together 11,900 varieties. Songkhla Lake up all together 11,900 varieties. Songkhla Lake alone, one of the largest lagoon has over 700 fish alone, one of the largest lagoon has over 700 fish species, 20 varieties of crabs and shrimps and 57 species, 20 varieties of crabs and shrimps and 57 types of seaweed. types of seaweed.

• Rich resources of mangrove, beach forest, sea Rich resources of mangrove, beach forest, sea grass which is a source of medicinal herbs and grass which is a source of medicinal herbs and important genetic resources for Thailand. important genetic resources for Thailand.

• Important sources of livelihoods, tourism Important sources of livelihoods, tourism development and export of marine products. development and export of marine products.

• Most importantly, they are sources of livelihoodsMost importantly, they are sources of livelihoods for small-scale fisherfolks who accounted for 92 per for small-scale fisherfolks who accounted for 92 per cent of all fishermen in Thailand (56,856 cent of all fishermen in Thailand (56,856 households)households)

Thailand Fishery’s Thailand Fishery’s Production Production

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

1960 1961 1972 1977 1993 1996 1998

One of the top ten Fishery exporter

Crisis of the Sea: Decline Crisis of the Sea: Decline Fish harvest Fish harvest

298

20 7 19.220

50

100

150

200

250

300

1960 1989 1998 2003

40 per cent is small fish

60 per cent is small fish

lowest at 2.38 kk/hour

Source: Office of Policy and Planning, Ministry of Science and Technology, 2005 Environmental Report.

Current Fishery Development Current Fishery Development PoliciesPolicies

• Gear towards producing fish product from the Gear towards producing fish product from the Thai Sea of 1.7 millions and 1.8 million tones Thai Sea of 1.7 millions and 1.8 million tones from foreign water per year from foreign water per year

• Promote fresh water and marine aquaculture in Promote fresh water and marine aquaculture in order to produce 550,000 tones of marine order to produce 550,000 tones of marine product per yearproduct per year

• Continue to develop and expand fisher Continue to develop and expand fisher industry and fishery productsindustry and fishery products

Laws and Measure in Coastal Laws and Measure in Coastal and Marine Resources and Marine Resources Management and ConservationManagement and Conservation

Laws• 1947 Fishery Law 1947 Fishery Law

• Protected Area ManagementProtected Area Management

• 1964 National Reserve Law1964 National Reserve Law

• 1939 Forest Law1939 Forest Law • 1992 Wildlife Protection1992 Wildlife Protection

Authorities- Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Interior

- Department: Department of Fisheries, Department of Coastal and Marine Resources and Department of Habour

- Both institutions are the main instrument in policy and measure formulation

Community’s Rights in Community’s Rights in ThailandThailand•Community’s rights is recognised under Community’s rights is recognised under

the 1997 Constitution (article 46, 56, 55 the 1997 Constitution (article 46, 56, 55 etc) , but have not been able to transform etc) , but have not been able to transform into practices: No supporting organic lawinto practices: No supporting organic law

•Genuine people’s participation remain as Genuine people’s participation remain as concept, but not in government practices. concept, but not in government practices.

1

2

• accessing 12 per accessing 12 per cent of overall total cent of overall total fish catchfish catch

0

20

40

60

80

100

1

ชุ�ดข้�อมู�ล1

ชุ�ดข้�อมู�ล2

• the remaining of the the remaining of the resources is harvested by resources is harvested by commercial fishery who commercial fishery who accounted for 15 percent accounted for 15 percent of all fishermenof all fishermen

3,797 villages, 56,859 households of Fishermen. Under this, 92 per cent is small-scale

Community’s Rights: Community’s Rights: Perspective of Thai Small-Scale Perspective of Thai Small-Scale FisherfolkFisherfolk• It is a collective right where the community can It is a collective right where the community can

collectively use and manage the natural resource collectively use and manage the natural resource base on their religious principle base on their religious principle

• There are many rights systems that are There are many rights systems that are corresponds to the diversity of the natural corresponds to the diversity of the natural resources: equal access and sharing of resources resources: equal access and sharing of resources – non permanent rights – non permanent rights

• Corresponds to livelihoods, norms, traditions and Corresponds to livelihoods, norms, traditions and religious belief. religious belief.

• Knowledge and wisdom in natural resource Knowledge and wisdom in natural resource management is reflected by the crafting of fishing management is reflected by the crafting of fishing gearsgears and fishing practicesand fishing practices

How have the community’s rights been violated?

push net

31. Destructive Fishing Practices

Capitalistion of the SeaCapitalistion of the Sea

• Transferring common pool of marine resource into private

ownership

what are community’s what are community’s initiatives in securing their initiatives in securing their

rights?rights?

Community’s Movement to Protect their Rights to Marine and Coastal Resource:

The Case of Night-time Anchovy Fishing

Conclusion Conclusion

• While the natural resources continue to be While the natural resources continue to be degraded, the communities have shown degraded, the communities have shown initiatives to revive and conserve the initiatives to revive and conserve the resourcesresources

• However, such practices and community’s However, such practices and community’s rights are not recognised rights are not recognised

• Some communities are able to co-Some communities are able to co-management with the government, but management with the government, but such roles are not recognised by law.such roles are not recognised by law.

• Some communities, being influenced by Some communities, being influenced by external capitalists and laws and measures external capitalists and laws and measures that are contradictory to their lives, have that are contradictory to their lives, have not been able to protect the resources, not been able to protect the resources, resulting in further degradation resulting in further degradation

We call for We call for

• A greater acceptance of A greater acceptance of community’s rights from the community’s rights from the governmentgovernment

• Decentralization of power in Decentralization of power in natural resource managementnatural resource management

• Advocate for good governance, Advocate for good governance, people’s participation in decision people’s participation in decision making making

The Heart of Community’s Rights isThe Heart of Community’s Rights is

The strength of the small-scale The strength of the small-scale fisherfolk and its network in taking fisherfolk and its network in taking their own initiatives in protecting their their own initiatives in protecting their own rights in order to aceheive own rights in order to aceheive sustainable livelihoods sustainable livelihoods

“We don’t know whether it is called ‘Community’s rights, but we think its to be able to manage, distribute and conserve to sustain our family by ourselves, while being able to protect it for our next generation. It also means to us, to have authority and power to sanction those who resource from destructive fishing gears”