Publication Code: N3
The Status of Coastal and Marine Resources of Thailand
by Dhira Phantumvanit et al.
This study places the issues of Thailand's coastal and marine resources in perspective. It originated from the belief that Thailand, with 23 out of 73 of its provinces on the coast, should benefit more from proper management of its coastal and marine resources. Traditionally, the Thai people look upon water resources as important sources of food. The rich seas of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman need to be harvested in a sustainable manner so that the renewable resources -- fish, mangrove -- will be available to both the present and the future generations.
Recent trends in fisheries show that Thailand has already crossed the threshold in terms of the maximum sustainable production capacity in the Gulf. Trash fish now represent more than 40 percent of the total marine capture from Thai waters with up to 50 percent of the trash fish being juveniles of valuable fish and shrimp species. These figures imply that the resiliency of the Gulf can no longer be taken for granted.
In recent years, any loss in the fish catch from within Thailand's Exclusive Economic Zone could be compensated by venturing into nearby countries' national waters. However, the record of Thailand's joint ventures with other countries in marine capture fisheries so far is mixed with both successes and failures.
In coastal areas, recent developments are changing the conventional land use pattern. In the Eastern Seaboard, emphasis is on heavy industries, mainly petrochemicals, whereas offshore tin mining is being practiced in the Andaman Sea off the coasts of Phuket and Phangnga. Aquaculture, particularly shrimp farming, is being expanded and is encroaching into the adjacent mangrove areas. This is prominent in the the Upper Gulf provinces of Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram and the southern province of Nakorn Si Thammarat.
This study was designed to be emphatic, covering specific topics which have already been identified as priorities by the Thai government.
The scope of this study covers:
1) the review of the past and present status of coastal and marine resources development in Thailand, in particular marine fisheries, mangrove, and tourism;
2) the review of the trends in coastal area development in priority coastal regions of the country, namely the Eastern Seaboard, the Songkhla Lake Basin, and the Upper South;
3) the review of the present approach in the management and development of coastal and marine resources, emphasizing planning and permitting procedures;
4) the identification of policy issues vital to the successful development of a national strategy for the coastal and marine resources of Thailand
August 1986