Amazing Blue Crab Event: Learning Exchange Event of Fisheries Network for Food Security
Walailak University partnered with the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and partnership networks to hold the “Blue Crab Eating Event in Nakhon Si Thammarat” to create a local coastal community partnership network and a partnership network of processed seafood and other agricultural products to transfer the knowledge of increasing food security and marketing channels without any cost and creating circular economy mechanism in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.
The Center for Academic Services, Walailak University partnered with NRCT, the government, private and people network, to hold a “Blue Crab Eating Event in Nakhon Si Thammarat”. This event aims to increase the trading of blue crab and other seafood products to create a circular economy mechanism in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The learning centers, blue crab banks, and network people in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and Surat Thani Province came together to sell the community’s blue crab products. This event received interest from many students and the public to participate at the Bota Market Square, Walailak Botanic Park.
The university partnered with the network of government, private and people to implement research activities about upgrading coastal communities’ grassroots economy by using blue crab resources and increasing the productivity of blue crabs in nature, so fishers have seen a massive increase in the catch of blue crabs, and they also earned more salary. Additionally, the university lecturers help local producers develop products, invent a recipe for the unique blue crab dish in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and create quality community brands and creative tourism in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.
This event was supported by the budget from NRCT through 84 blue crab bank implementations under the responsibility of WU in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and Surat Thani Province, aiming to create a network of fishers, farmers, and local seafood producers for free transferring knowledge about the operation of blue crab bank, the fisheries biology of blue crab to increase the survival rate, and more guidelines for the management of blue crab and other fishery resources in the area.
There were 12 shops of blue crab and other fishery products from the blue crab bank community network in 6 coastal districts: Khanom, Sichon, Tha Sala, Mueang Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pak Phanang and Hua Sai in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province without any cost of space rental fee for setting up a shop.
Besides, there were 235 other community-identity food stores. Also, 21,789 people visited and bought things at the event. As for the purchase and sale at the event, it was found that the products were sold on that day with a total sale of 547,060 baht.
The Blue Crab Bank Project implemented in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani can be seen as one of the distinctive and very successful projects because blue crabs are highly added to the Thai sea, which affects the catching of blue crab numbers and high income. Under the joint operation of all sectors in the area, including the government, the private sector, and the public, the WU and NRCT’s Crab Bank are part of the success of making strong communities and local resources.
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Walailak University
