RAP Publication 1998/3 BOBP Report No. 78 COMMUNITY-BASED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN PHANG-NGA BAY, THAILAND Proceedings of the National Workshop on Community-based Fisheries Management Phuket, Thailand, 14-16 February 1996 Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Bangkok, Thailand ii The designations employed and the presentations of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not imply any opionion whatsoever on the part of FAO and BOBP. ISBN 974-86284-8-5 All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, by any merhod or process, without written permission from the copyright holder. Applications for such permission with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction. should be addressed to the Senior Fishery Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Paci fic, Maliwan Mansion, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. © FAO 1398 PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT This document is the report and proceedings of a National Workshop held jointly by the Thai Department of Fisheries, FAO and the Bay of Bengal Programme of FAO (BOBP) in Phuket, Thailand, 14-16 February 1936. Funds were made available through the GCP/RAS/1 38/JPN Project. The document comprises the final report of the Workshop, the list of participants and agenda, early results of the Community-based Fisheries Management (CBFM) Project after the Workshop, and the papers presented at the Workshop. Ms. Donna J. Nickerson, Coastal Management Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, prepared the reports on the Workshop and the early results of the CBFM project, and ed ited the papers contained in this document. Careful reviews of the Workshop Report were provided by Mr. Somsak Chullasorn and Mr. Jate Pimoljindn, Directors of the Phuket Marine Biological Center and Andaman Sea Fisheries Development Center respectively, Department of Fisheries, Thailand. Advice and guidance for the publication was provided by Dr. Veravat Hongskul, Senior Fishery Officer, and Ms. Pornsuda David, Technical Assistant, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Distribution: Participants of the Workshop FAO/BOBP Member Countries FAO Fisheries Department Fisheries Officers in FAO Regional Offices Nickerson, D.J. (Ed.). 1998. Community-based Fisheries Management in Phang-nga Bay, Thailand. Proceed- ings of the National Worskhop on Community-based Fisheries Management orga- nized by the Department of Fisheries of Thailand, FAO and the Bay of Bengal Programme, Phuket, Thailand, 14-16 F e bruary 1996. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. RAP Publication 1998/3 (BOBP Report No. 78), 227p. ABSTRACT This document reports the outcome of the Workshop aimed to build a common understanding among the key participants from the Department of Fisheries (DOF) of Thailand, the fishers and village leaders, universities and NGOs, of the importance, benefits and constraints, roles and responsibilities, and needs for flexibility in undertaking the new approach of ‘partnership in management’ under the DOF/BOBP Community-based Fisheries Management (CBFM) Project in Phang-nga Bay, Thailand. Another objective was to build a consensus among the key participants on the objectives, issues for management and general approach for implementation of the project. Presentations on the status and trends of fishery resources, the ecology, socio- economics, opportunities for women’s involvement, as well as fisher’s own knowledge of the Bay were presented and are contained in this document. Recommendations of the Workshop include: organization of a CBFM management framework; establishment of a revolving fund managed under the CBFM framework with funding sources from NGOs, Government of Thailand, and fishers’ profits; and provision of training and information services for awareness building. It was recommended that the priority issue to be addressed was to develop approaches and measures to effectively execute and enforce the fisher community ban on push nets and trawlers. The early results of the CBFM project after the workshop are also given. Preface v PREFACE The National Workshop on Community-based Fisheries Management was the first meeting held together with the Department of Fisheries (DOF), the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP), the fisherfolk and community leaders to plan the future use of a commonly held resource - the fisheries of Phang-nga Bay. Representatives from all perspectives of management, including the scientific community, universities, government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and most important, the coastal fisherfolk communities who have perhaps the closest knowledge of the Bay’s coastal resources, participated in the Workshop. To ensure an effective dialogue among these different sectors, a joint DOF/FAO/BOBP Organizing Committee was established for the preparation of the Workshop to create a forum for dialogue on the issues of concern and action required in co-managing the Bay’s important resources. The papers presented in the Proceedings range from technical studies on ecological processes of Phang-nga Bay to the socio-economic and cultural aspects of the coastal fisherfolk communities. Local knowledge of the fisheries and ecosystem was presented by fisherfolk and is contained in the Workshop Report. A concern for maintaining the high biological productivity of the Bay was shared by all the sectors. What was needed was the unified commitment to a common set of goals, objectives and priorities for management. The Workshop achieved this. It was a successful preliminary step towards a larger purpose - implementation of the Community-based Fisheries Management Project in Phang-nga Bay by the Thai Department of Fisheries with support from FAO and BOBP. Many contributed to help achieve the objectives of the Workshop. The GCP/RAS/ 138/JPN ( D eve 1o p ment of Community-based Coastal Fisheries Management Systems for Asia and the Pacific) Project provided financial support for the Workshop, the Asian Productivity Organization sponsored the participation of a resource person, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the BOBP provided technical support while the Thai Department of Fisheries provided excellent logistical support for the Workshop. The fisherfolk of Phang-nga Bay took time from their livelihood activities to prepare for and participate in the Workshop, and are continuing to dedicate their time towards an improved and more sustainable management of the fishery resources of the Bay. It is hoped that this publication would be useful not only to Thailand, but also to other coastal States in their consideration of community-based coastal fisheries management for which all aspects of issues concerned (legal, institutional arrangement, ecology and biology, socio-economic, technology transfer, etc.) must be considered carefully to ensure successful implementation. The Editor FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok, February 1998 Contents vii C O N T E N T S Page PART 1. REPORT OF THE WORKSHOP 1 SESSION 1: PRESENT CONDITIONS IN PHANG-NGA BAY FOR 2 COMMUNITY-BASED MANAGEMENT, GOVERNMENT POLICY, GEOGRAPHIC, SOCIO-ECONOMIC, AND INSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS Item 1: Policy and Progress Towards Community-based 2 Fisheries Management in Thailand Item 2: Geographic Considerations 3 Item 3: Socio-Economic and Gender Considerations 4 Item 4: The New Roles of Extension Organizations, Education 5 Institutions and Fisherfolk Item 5: Legislative Review and Implications 6 SESSION 2: STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY- 7 BASED MANAGEMENT IN PHANG-NGA BAY SESSION 3: EXPERIENCE OF NGOs AND EXTENSION WORKERS 8 IN PHANG-NGA BAY IN BUILDING COMMUNITY-BASED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT (CBFM) SESSION 4: FISHERFOLK PRESENTATIONS ON INITIATIVES 9 UNDERWAY AND NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE IN PHANG-NGA BAY Item 1: Major Initiatives that Helped to Provide a Firm 9 Foundation for CBFM in Phang-ngn Bay Item 2: Opportunities and Potential Roles and 12 Responsibilities for Cooperative Management Item 3: Experiences in Organizing Fisherfolk Groups 14 Item 4: Lessons From Artificial Reef Deployment 14 . VIII Community-based Fisheries Management in Phang-nga Bay Page SESSION 5: WORKSHOP SUMMATION OF WHAT IS NEEDED 15 TO ENSURE STEWARDSHIP AND AN EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE IN PHANG-NGA BAY SESSION 6: DOF/BOBP PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND DRAFT 17 WORKPLAN APPENDIX A List of Participants 20 APPENDIX B Agenda and Timetable 24 APPENDIX C List of Acronyms 27 PART 2. AFTER THE WORKSHOP: EARLY RESULTS OF THE 23 CBFM PROJECT PART 3. PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE WORKSHOP 34 The Policy of the Department of Fisheries for Community-based Fisheries 35 Management (P Suraswadi) Status of Coastal Fisheries in Phang-nga Bay and Current Issues for Management 54 (J. Pimoljinda) Status of Marine Fishery Resources in the Andaman Sea (S. Chullasorn) 72 Environmental Factors Influencing the Health and Productivity of Phang-nga Bay 85 (P. Limpsaichol, S. Khokiattiwong, N. Bussarawit, and I? Sojisuporn) Community Structure and Biomass of Seagrass Beds in Phang-nga Bay and the 121 Andaman Sea. I. Mangrove-Associated Seagrass Beds (S. Poovachiranon and H. Chansang) Socio-Economic Condition of Small-scale Fishing