Sustained International Collaboration and Research for Best Practices Development on Blue Swimming Crab Resources
Outreach and Engagement Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) are collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiatives designed to enhance fishing practices and management systems, ensuring the long-term sustainability of marine species, ecosystems, and the livelihoods of fishing communities. These projects leverage the influence of the private sector to drive positive changes in fisheries and aim to solidify those improvements through the development of new government policies. In Ban Don Bay, Surat Thani, Thailand, blue swimming crab populations faced a significant decline prior to the implementation of the FIP, largely due to overfishing in heavily exploited inshore areas, the harvesting of undersized crabs and gravid females, and the absence of effective management plans, harvest strategies, and enforcement mechanisms. In response, the Thailand Blue Swimming Crab Fishery Improvement Project (Thailand BSC FIP) was established as an international…








