Author: Krittayot Ritthijak

WU Today Technologies for Ecosystem Damage Prevention 1. Bandon Bay Project: Using GIS and Remote Sensing for Monitoring and preventing ecosystem destructionBandon Bay, a large watershed area, is located near Walailak University. From 2018 until 2022 and 2023, the WU researcher received a research scholarship from the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and ARDA to continue research work, including both oceanography and ecology in Bandon Bay. A research team from Walailak University, government researchers, local authorities, and TFFA (Marine product industry) conducted research together. The objectives of the research were to monitor water and sediment quality, fishing gear practices, oceanography, and land use in both agriculture and industry in surrounding areas. The Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing were applied for data gathering, analyzing, and predicting. The results…

Sustainable Management Strategy of Aquatic Animal Resources in Bandon Bay, the Large Watershed Area in Southern Thailand Between 2020 to 2023, Walailak University led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Amonsak Sawusdee, in collaboration with the Network partner: Department of Fisheries, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thai Frozen Foods Association, and local community partners who live in Bandon Bay to progress a research project on sustainable management strategy of aquatic animal resources in Bandon Bay, the large watershed area in Southern Thailand. The research team has been collecting ecosystem data, fisheries resources, oceanography, and area utilization of Bandon Bay to comprise a strategic plan for the sustainability resources in Bandon Bay.Ban Don Bay is one of the most important watershed area in the Gulf of Thailand and an important area where…

Pak Phanang River Basin: Watershed Management strategy The Pak Phanang River Basin is located in the southern part of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province where Walailak university is located. There are three contiguous topographic conditions in the area. The upper part of the basin is steep, and the lower part is lowland, which plays a pivotal role in four local ecosystems, namely the freshwater in the upper part, the sour water in the swamp, the brackish water in the middle of the basin, and the salt water at the estuary. The main river is the Pak Phanang River, approximately 156 kilometers long, flowing through the middle of the area upstream, midstream, and downstream from south to north. There are branch streams that are important sources of water in the upstream and…

Coastal area is a dominantly share ecosystem for all. In this area there are many species of Marine fish and shellfish which are important sources of protein and income, through fisheries, for the number of people in Thailand, particularly those who live along the coastlines. It is recognized that, nowadays, marine fishery resources, especially the Blue swimming crab (BSC), have become depleted due to high fishing pressure. The BSC is one of the most economic species of fishery industries in Thailand and is exported worldwide, with Thailand being the fifth largest exporter. Hence, the reduction in the abundance of this shellfish inevitably affects the fishers and all the supply-chain sectors, which eventually affects the country's GDP from fishery products.Walailak University (WU) is located in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and the academic…

In 2022, Walailak University in cooperation with the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Fisheries Office, The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (Thailand), organized a program to support farmers improving aquaculture standard to meet the GAP criteria, standing for “Good Agricultural Practice”. This program aims to verify that the process of Tilapia aquaculture reduces risks of microbial hazards by using sustainable farming methods.Walailak provided training covered 4 pillars of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) which are Economic Viability, Environmental Sustainability, Social Acceptability, and Food Safety and Quality. Also, WU scientists educated farmers about awareness to reduce impact of aquaculture to ecosystem, water treatment system and the related law such as do not allow children to work in aquaculture sector.  Currently, Farmers apply GAP knowledge to culture Tilapia in old shrimp ponds. Several projects…

The 6 year projects, studying fishery biology, society, economy, and the ecosystem related to blue swimming crab rehabilitation in Bandon Bay that complies with the Fishery Improvement Program: FIP was the research led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Amonsak Sawusdee, Acting Director of the Center for Academic Service, Walailak University. It was considered the best project by the Agricultural Research Development Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand in 2022.The goal was to strengthen the fishing sector by cooperating with public organizations and private sectors, such as Walailak University, Ubon Ratchathani University, Kasetsart University, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya Trang Campus, Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University, Department of Fisheries, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Hydro-Informatics Institute, Thai Frozen Foods Association, the exporters of blue swimming crab, World Wide Fund…

Walailak University is located near the essential marine ecosystem areas. The university has monitored the health of aquatic ecosystems in the nearby zones, including the Kra Island Ecosystem, Phuket coastal and offshore ecosystem, and Coastal and marine ecosystem in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where Walailak University is located. WU considered that the health of the aquatic ecosystem is important to monitor. Also, the health of the ecosystem should consist of biological, chemical, and physical monitoring. Appropriated technologies are used for monitoring processes. Several techniques and activities were done in 2022 as detailed below.1. Monitoring the health of aquatic ecosystems of Bandon Bay by Using GIS and Remote Sensing.Bandon Bay, a large watershed area, is located near Walailak University. From 2018 until 2022 and 2023. WU researcher received research scholarship from National…

WU Scientist, a National Expert Committee, participates in Thai Fishery Improvement Plan. Asst. Prof. Dr. Amonsak Sawusdee, a lecturer in the School of Science at Walailak University, has been appointed by the Department of Fisheries to be the National Scientific and Technical Committee for advising fisheries plans in Thailand, including preventing overfishing and minimizing the impact of fisheries on the aquatic ecosystems: physical, chemical, and biological alterations. He has been appointed to three national academic committees, namely Thailand's National Scientific and Technical Committee, Technical Committee on the Assessment for Sustainability and Appropriate Reference Point Determination in Marine Animals Management, and the Committee on Sustainable Blue Crab Management of Thailand by acting in the drafter of the country's fisheries strategy and prepare a plan to manage the blue crab resource area. The details…

Walailak University has a guideline to reduce the use of plastic and to stop serving plastic bags with handles and foam for packing food in restaurants and shops inside Walailak University in response to the strategic plan of the green university policy in the fifth strategic issue, enhancing the image as a happy green university city, Property Management Center. Therefore, waste management measures have been established in the business areas, such as canteens, Chopradu food centers, and shops within Walailak University Property Management Center. It has set measures for all shops to refrain from providing plastic bags with handles and foam in food packaging to reduce the amount of waste at the source by using the 3Rs principle, which is Reduce, Reuse, and Reject.Therefore, the university is committed to becoming…