Under the umbrella of the South China Sea Strategic Action Programme (SAP), the Fisheries Refugia project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), has conducted activities, whereby, area-based approaches to fisheries management in the western Gulf of Thailand have been applied over the last decade to safeguard spawning stock and larvae of the Indo-Pacific Mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma). The measures designed against the backdrop of high fishing pressure and increasing demand for the region’s seafood products (see refugia areas A and B depicted in Figure 1) have enabled resource managers, scientists, fisher folk and communities to develop experience working together in safeguarding critical fish stock and life-cycle linkages.
This has involved the application of targeted management measures aimed at significant reductions in fishing effort and use of inappropriate fishing gear and practices for 90 days in area A (15 Feb-15 May) and 30 days area B (16 May – 14 June) to safeguard fish in spawning condition and fish larvae, respectively. The large size of these management areas has been the source of some tension between government and larger-scale operators, with discussions largely having focused on the need for area-based measures to reflect more fully the known migratory routes, ocean circulation patterns and primary production in the Gulf of Thailand.
Accordingly, the fisheries refugia concept was recently applied to the establishment of nursery refugia in the upper Gulf of Thailand aimed at boosting year class strength of new recruits to the fishery. This has been achieved via application of targeted measures, combined with revised and strengthened regulations and enforcement, in refugia area C (60 days from 15 Jun – 15 Aug) and refugia areas D (60 days from 1 Aug – 30 Sep) aimed at targeted and incidental capture of larval and juvenile fish. This staged and combined application of refugia areas in a northerly, clockwise direction from the western to the upper central Gulf to protect fish at critical life-cycle stages including spawning, larval, and juvenile to pre-recruit has shown to bring about significant improvements in landings and food security for small-scale operators.
Department of Fisheries, Thailand reports an almost 10-fold increase in landings from 2,470 tons prior to the expansion of the network to 28,670 include the operational management of areas C and D. This success points to possible strengthened resilience of stocks of Indo-Pacific associated with the ongoing establishment and planned management of fisheries refugia sites for this species in the transboundary area of Trat, Thailand and Koh Kong, Cambodia which are located to the east of the present managed areas. Recent surveys show these areas to be critical areas for juvenile and young adult Indo-Pacific mackerel.
Success breeds success in the Southeast Asian region, with the above mentioned achievements leading to senior officials of the Department of Fisheries, Thailand recently issuing directives to explore the application of the fisheries refugia approach in bringing about improved management of over-exploited stocks of the longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol). The latter represents a true example of the mainstreaming of the science generated by GEF projects in the day-to-day operations of a national government in planning for sustainable fisheries in Southeast Asia. It also brings to light how existing GEF-funded initiatives are feeding into achieving targets under emerging environmental issues, such as food and environmental security, and providing blue economy opportunities across sectors. For more information, please visit http://www.fisheres-refugia.org or contact chris@seafdec.orgor somboon@seafdec.org
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