Benefits Management Process and Mechanism at the Community Level in Marine and Coastal Areas with Various Economic Activities

Abstract

This article aims to: 1) collect basic data on marine economic utilization in the study area. 2) analyze the relations between stakeholders utilizing and sharing the marine economy in the same area; and 3) synthesize co-mechanisms for managing marine profits in the study communities. The research area is KohLibong subdistrict, Kantang district, Trang province.

   The research study found that there are three major activities.--  fishing, tourism, and activities related to tourism and coastal, and marine resource conservation -- that coincide and are related to one another. While fishing is the main occupation, tourism, and related activities are the additional ones. Also, activities on marine resource conservation are related to fishing and tourism as they help increase circulating marine animals and promote sustainable fishing. Moreover, conservation enhances tourism which has been an important source of income for the communities. Therefore, the marine and coastal activities help support one another positively and then the benefit will mainly belong to people in the communities.

   There are three mechanisms in managing benefits: 1) community management led by the network based on the community’s regulations and leaders 2) co-management between state and communities such as zoning of marine use and 3) state management through laws such as fishing laws, and land usage laws in the reserved areas.

   The main driving mechanism is community cooperation that has evolved from the past marine resource conservation activities. It is a mechanism that the state has not built, but it has come from the process built together in the communities with NGOs, coordinated, and worked as a network. This provides shared learning and reduces conflict between people in the communities. Later on, it was opened to the state to join in creating coordination between the state and the community in various activities.