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Local shrimp farming associations, local communities, an international NGO, and public authorities are joining forces to implement community-based sustainable aquacultural management and mangrove restoration methods.

The area of Don Sak in Thailand's southern Surat
Thani province has been severely impacted by unsustainable natural resource exploitation.

Traditional uses of mangrove areas for fisheries,
timber production and as a source of non-timber
forest products have been lost. Mangrove forests
have been destroyed for intensive shrimp farms and charcoal production, leaving about 800 hectares of wasteland over an area previously rich in mangrove biodiversity. Local people suffer from unemployment, skill shortages and limited opportunities for income generation.

A programme of environmental and socio-economic restoration through partnership will be undertaken.

Environmental conditions will be improved by re-establishing mangroves both by conventional planting and through natural regenerative methods.

Livelihood opportunities will be provided for the local community. Techniques consistent with local socio-economic conditions will be researched, piloted and demonstrated at the site by local people.

Technical support will be extended to residual shrimp farming activities to mitigate environmental impacts and support desires for environmental accreditation.

The programme includes support mechanisms to ensure long term sustainability. Participation of local communities in environmental monitoring will supplement that of local authorities; financing mechanisms will be introduced to support livelihood diversification; opportunities to eco-label and market new products will be researched and exploited; and long term area co-management mechanisms facilitated.

This project will provide a model for socio-economic regeneration through environmental restoration that can be replicated worldwide where unsustainable intensive shrimp farming has contributed to global environmental impacts and the loss of over a half of the world's mangrove forests.