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

1. Community’s Rights and Coastal Resource Management: Small-Scale Fisherfolk’s Struggles and Initiatives in Thailand by Wichoksak Ronnarongpairee, Federation of Southern Fisherfolk and Suppawan , the Coastal Zone Management Project Management – Sustainable Development Foundation

2. 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”

3. 1.Background of the Thai Sea • 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

4. Natural Resource and Biodiversity • Marine resource: over 2,000 fish varieties accounted for 10 per cent of world fish stock, shellfish of 2,000 varieties and other reptiles make up all together 11,900 varieties. Songkhla Lake alone, one of the largest lagoon has over 700 fish species, 20 varieties of crabs and shrimps and 57 types of seaweed. • Rich resources of mangrove, beach forest, sea grass which is a source of medicinal herbs and important genetic resources for Thailand. • Important sources of livelihoods, tourism development and export of marine products. • Most importantly, they are sources of livelihoodsfor small-scale fisherfolks who accounted for 92 per cent of all fishermen in Thailand (56,856 households)

5. Thailand Fishery’s Production One of the top ten Fishery exporter

6. Crisis of the Sea: Decline Fish harvest 60 per cent is small fish 40 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.

7. Current Fishery Development Policies • Gear towards producing fish product from the Thai Sea of 1.7 millions and 1.8 million tones from foreign water per year • Promote fresh water and marine aquaculture in order to produce 550,000 tones of marine product per year • Continue to develop and expand fisher industry and fishery products

8. Laws and Measure in Coastal and Marine Resources Management and Conservation Laws • 1947 Fishery Law • Protected Area Management • 1964 National Reserve Law • 1939 Forest Law • 1992 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

9. Community’s Rights in Thailand • Community’s rights is recognised under the 1997 Constitution (article 46, 56, 55 etc) , but have not been able to transform into practices: No supporting organic law • Genuine people’s participation remain as concept, but not in government practices.

10. 3,797 villages, 56,859 households of Fishermen. Under this, 92 per cent is small-scale • accessing 12 per cent of overall total fish catch • the remaining of the resources is harvested by commercial fishery who accounted for 15 percent of all fishermen

11. Community’s Rights: Perspective of Thai Small-Scale Fisherfolk • It is a collective right where the community can collectively use and manage the natural resource base on their religious principle • There are many rights systems that are corresponds to the diversity of the natural resources: equal access and sharing of resources – non permanent rights • Corresponds to livelihoods, norms, traditions and religious belief. • Knowledge and wisdom in natural resource management is reflected by the crafting of fishing gearsand fishing practices

12. How have the community’s rights been violated?

13. 3.1 Destructive Fishing Practices push net

14. Capitalistion of the Sea • Transferring common pool of marine resource into private ownership

15. what are community’s initiatives in securing their rights?

16. Community’s Movement to Protect their Rights to Marine and Coastal Resource: The Case of Night-time Anchovy Fishing

17. Conclusion • While the natural resources continue to be degraded, the communities have shown initiatives to revive and conserve the resources • However, such practices and community’s rights are not recognised • Some communities are able to co-management with the government, but such roles are not recognised by law. • Some communities, being influenced by external capitalists and laws and measures that are contradictory to their lives, have not been able to protect the resources, resulting in further degradation

18. We call for • A greater acceptance of community’s rights from the government • Decentralization of power in natural resource management • Advocate for good governance, people’s participation in decision making

19. The Heart of Community’s Rights is The strength of the small-scale fisherfolk and its network in taking their own initiatives in protecting their own rights in order to aceheive sustainable livelihoods

20. “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”