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Overfishing in the Gulf of Thailand: policy challenges and bioeconomic analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2007

MAHFUZUDDIN AHMED
Affiliation:
Principal Social Scientist and Program Leader, Policy Research and Impact Assessment, WorldFish Center, Jalan Batu Maung, 11960 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia. Fax: (604) 626-5530. Email: m.ahmed@cgiar.org
PONGPAT BOONCHUWONGSE
Affiliation:
Fisheries Economist, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, Kasetsart University Campus, Phaholyotin Road, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. Email: pongpatb@fisheries.go.th
WARAPORN DECHBOON
Affiliation:
Fisheries Biologist, Southern Marine Fisheries Development Center (SMDEC), 79/1 Vichienchom, Road Muang District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand. Email: SMDEC@hatyai.inet.co.th
DALE SQUIRES
Affiliation:
Resource Economist, NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. Email: dsquires@ucsd.edu

Abstract

This paper estimates maximum sustainable yield and maximum economic yield from Schaefer and Fox surplus production bioeconomic models to find evidence of biological and economic overfishing, and their consequences in Gulf of Thailand demersal fisheries. The paper examines alternative policy instruments to reduce overfishing. The discussion emphasizes strengthening fishery management for implementing limited access, and a combination of co-management, and decentralization of fisheries management. The use of license fees that serves as a double dividend tax to reduce fishing effort and fund monitoring and enforcement has been proposed as one of the possible economic instruments.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

This paper is part of the Socioeconomic Component (Socioeconomic Profile, Fleet Operational Dynamics and Bioeconomic Modeling) of the Asian Development Bank project RETA 5766. The project is funded by the WorldFish Center, other participating organizations, and the Asian Development Bank under RETA 5766.