Fisherfolk
Along the eastern coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat, lies the small village of Ban Srabua. Here, in the Sala subdistrict of Tha Sala district, life has always followed the rhythm of the tides.
Before dawn breaks, the fishermen of the village head out to sea. For decades, this has been their way of life. By three or four in the morning, boats glide across the water as nets are cast—fish nets, crab nets—each one carrying the hope of the day’s catch. By late morning, they return to shore, where the women wait. Together, they sort fish, pick crab meat, and prepare the harvest for sale—at the pier, in local markets, or through middlemen. This was once a time of abundance.
But as the years passed, the sea began to change.
“Before, there were so many resources,” recalls Jaroen Tohaitae, a fisherman from the village. “Now, they have declined.”
Faced with dwindling marine life and unstable prices, the community knew they had to act. What began as a struggle soon became a movement. Fisherfolk came together, forming a group to protect their livelihoods and to restore the sea that sustained them. The Fisherfolk Community Enterprise was formed with support from APFP-FO4A and other initiatives.
Conservation became central for the organization: protecting habitats, restoring aquatic populations, and raising awareness about destructive practices like illegal trawl and push nets. Through collective action and collaboration with the Federation of Thai Fisherfolk Associations (FTFA), marine resources slowly began to recover.
One symbol of this effort is the community’s crab bank, an initiative to protect and breed crabs. Over time, species that had nearly disappeared, like swimming crabs, began to return. The sea, once in decline, showed signs of life again.
The community also turned toward value-adding. Instead of selling raw catch at fluctuating prices, they began processing seafood into products: salted threadfin, Spanish mackerel, fermented fish, dried shrimp, shrimp paste, and fish floss. Fresh seafood is carefully handled, frozen, and delivered directly to customers, ensuring both quality and fair pricing.
“In other places, when supply is high, prices drop,” says Timo Aiso, President of the Fisherfolk Community Enterprise. “But ours remain stable. We agree on fair prices, if the quality meets our standards.”
This shift brought stability to incomes, strengthened unity among members, and ensured that benefits were shared. Dividends from the enterprise now support both livelihoods and conservation efforts.
In 2022, this progress was further strengthened when the Thammarat Fisherfolk Organization received support from APFP-FO4A to invest in frozen seafood processing and distribution—allowing the community to reach wider markets while maintaining quality and sustainability.
The mission is clear: sustain both people and the resources they depend on. Illegal fishing practices, once widespread, had devastated marine ecosystems. But through awareness, community action, and partnerships, change is happening. People are not only protecting resources—they are building businesses around them, creating value while ensuring sustainability.
“The work never ends,” Jinda Jittanang of FTFA reflects. “But with the right support, we can keep growing—managing resources, improving processing, and delivering safe, quality products to consumers.”
Surin rice
For small-scale farmers in Surin, in the northeastern plains of Thailand, challenges have long been steep: high production costs, declining yields, and heavy reliance on chemical inputs. Determined to change course, communities began shifting toward organic farming—reducing harmful chemicals and reclaiming control over their land and health.
“We wanted to rely more on ourselves,” explains Parkphum Inpan of the Thamo Community Enterprise.
But producing rice was only part of the challenge. Without control over processing and marketing, farmers remained vulnerable to low prices and unstable incomes.
With support from APFP-FO4A, the community invested in a rice mill suited for small-scale farmers. This allowed them not only to process their own harvest, but also to add value to their rice—transforming it from a raw commodity into a product they could market themselves.
The impact was immediate and lasting. Farmers gained higher incomes, improved their economic stability, and developed new skills in business and marketing. What was once a cycle of low returns became a pathway to empowerment.
In 2023, the Witheethamor Organic Farming Community Enterprise received further support to strengthen rice processing—expanding production and deepening the benefits for farming families.
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