LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING FOOD SECURITY IN THE FISHING COMMUNITY IN THAILAND

Abstract

The present study sought to investigate 1) changes and impacts of food security on the fishing community in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, and 2) livelihood strategies for managing food security in this community. A qualitative research methodology, precisely a case study approach, was utilized, and its key informants involved three groups: those at a policy level, at a community level, and from the private local fisheries sector, totaling 36 informants selected through purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed through content analysis and presented using analytical descriptions. The results demonstrated that the changes and impacts of food security on the fishing community in Phetchaburi Province can be classified into two phases. The first phase - the beginning of change - involved the arrival of external investors, the encroachment on natural resources by capitalists, the use of commercial fishing vessels, and the migration of community members to work outside their community. The other involved the consequences of the changes, including environmental issues, coastal ecosystems and natural resources, and a decline in aquatic resources within the community. Additionally, it was revealed that the livelihood strategies for food security management in the fishing community in Phetchaburi Province involved establishing groups for the conservation of natural and coastal resources, planning the preservation of natural resources, monitoring illegal and non-compliant fishing activities by dredging vessels, fostering awareness and a sense of conservation for natural and coastal resources, ensuring the sustainable management of those resources, and managing community resources.