14.2.3 Overfishing (community outreach)

Srinakharinwirot University contributes to addressing the problem of overfishing and its impacts on coastal communities through research and community-oriented knowledge dissemination, rather than by directly regulating fishing activities. At the graduate level, the University has supported field-based studies analysing small-scale fisheries in Ao Bang Saphan, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Research on traditional boatbuilding knowledge among small-scale fishers in eastern Thailand further highlights the interconnections between artisanal fishing livelihoods, local boatbuilding skills and knowledge, changing marine ecosystems and increasingly stringent coastal fisheries regulations, all of which form the context of resource degradation and overexploitation. Overall, these academic activities and community outreach initiatives demonstrate that Srinakharinwirot University plays an important role in understanding the drivers and consequences of overfishing, co-producing knowledge with fishing communities, and disseminating small-scale fisheries management models that prioritise sustainability and long-term community resilience.