Attitudes of Small-scale Fishery Toward the Fishing Rights System a Case Study on Fishery Households in Chanthaburi Province

Abstract

The study on attitudes of small-scale fishery toward the fishing rights system : A case study on fishery households in Chantaburi Province to clarify the socio-economic conditions, to study the attitude of small-scale fisheries toward the fishing rights system and to determine a direction for implementing the fishing rights system in Chantaburi Province. Data was collected from 300 small-scale fishery households in the Laemsigha District of Chantaburi Province through direct interview and using an interview schedule. Data analyses were done by using SPSS/PC. The results of the study showed that the majority of interviewed fishermen were male. The majority of them do capture fishing using out-board powered boats. The fishing gear mainly employed were gill nets and encircling gill net. The fishing grounds used were in the Rivers/ Canals and/or in coastal areas less than 3,000 meters from the shore. The income of the fishermen was rather low and the majority of them had debts. The reception of fishery information by fishermen officers, was very low. The results of the study on the attitudes of small-scale fishery toward the fishing right system were difference within the target area depending on the social and economic conditions. The analysis composed of the comparative studies of attitudes of small-scale fishermen toward the fishing rights system and the relationship of attitude and independent variables e.g., economic conditions, social conditions and the reception of fishery information. The comparative analysis of attitudes of small-scale fishermen toward the fishing rights system by social economic conditions, the results showed that attitudes of small-scale fishermen toward the fishing right system were different by sex and social status at a significance level of (P>0.05). The attitudes of small-scale fishermen toward the fishing rights system were different by type of fisheries e.g., capture fishery and coastal aquaculture, and coastal aquaculture and mixture of both at a level of high significance (P<0.01) and a significance level of (P<0.05), respectively. The attitudes of small-scale fishermen toward the fishing rights system were also different by type of fishing gear (non-capture fishery households and households using one group of fishing gear) at a level of high significance (P<0.01). For the study on the analysis of the relationship of independent variables e.g., economic conditions, social conditions and the reception of fishery information with the attitudes of small-scale fishermen toward the fishing rights system and its components by using the Chi-square test (x^2) (Contingency Coefficient Value) and Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r), the results showed that social conditions such as sex, social status, experience in fishery and experience in capture fishery, and reception of fishery information of small-scale fishery were significantly related to attitudes of small-scale fishery toward the fishing rights system in Chantaburi Province. While economic conditions have no significant relationship with the attitudes of fishermen toward the fishing rights system. From the results of the, it can be concluded that the majority of small-scale fishery in Chantaburi Province had a positive attitude and agreed with the fishing rights system. There are many matters that need to be introduced for the successful implementation of the system such as the improvement of laws and regulations concerned, together with the dissemination of knowledge and fishery information to the fishermen and assistance and support from the Department to Fisheries.