THA SALA, NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, 21 March 2024 – In a significant step towards advancing sustainable fishing practices, Asst. Prof. Dr. Amonsak Sawusdee, Director of the Center for Academic Services (CAS), Walailak University, participated in an online meeting via Zoom focused on the Thailand Blue Swimming Crab Fishery Improvement Project (FIP). Organized to foster collaboration among key stakeholders, the meeting aimed to align strategies for sustainable fishing practices that meet international standards, specifically targeting the improvement of Thailand’s blue swimming crab fisheries.

Attendees included representatives from the Marine Resource Assessment Group (MRAG), the Thai Crab Product Group, the Thai Frozen Foods Association, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Ubon Ratchathani University, and Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University. Together, they assessed the progress and set future directions to ensure sustainable and profitable practices for Thailand’s blue swimming crab industry.

One of the central discussions revolved around the 2023 Annual Evaluation of the Thailand Blue Swimming Crab FIP, which received an “A” for progress rating, signifying steady advancements in restoring blue swimming crab resources in Surat Thani since 2018. The project’s ongoing success has not only helped rebuild local crab populations and bolstered local fishermen’s income and enhanced export value, contributing 1,300 million baht per year to Thailand’s economy.