An Uprooted Activist Takes Root by the Andaman Sea

I first stumbled upon the mangrove forests and the shrimp aquaculture industry which threatened these forests back in March of 1992.  I was traveling in southern Thailand with Ian Baird, an aquaintance from Canada who was at that time working in Bangkok with Earth Island Institute. I introduced myself to Ian as a photo-journalist wishing to cover an
important environmental news story which had important social consequences. I was actually a novice at photo journalism, but wanted to strike off in a new direction, hoping to "deactivate", or put some distance between myself and activist organizing which I had found to be overly demanding on both personal energy and emotions.

Ian advised me to come with him on a train ride South to Trang Province.
There he said I would find a good enviro-socio issue to write about, and
one that really needed more urgent public attention. On the way to Trang, I read through a small stack of news articles from Thai and Malaysian
newspapers and magazines concerning the problems associated with the newly
burgeoning shrimp aquaculture industry. Ian had given me these to read on
the long train ride South from Bangkok. I was not aware of this industry,
and the mention of mangrove forest loss resulting from shrimp farming
struck me as somewhat novel, but I was not sure that this would be the
story that I could really write about. After all, shrimp and mangroves just did not seem like such inspiring subjects. It was only after I personally visited the non-governmental organization, Yadfon Association in Trang, which is led by Pisit Charnsonah, and the actual mangrove coasts and small Muslim fishing communities of southern Thailand did I begin to become "re-activiated." A new, more encompasing cause began to inspire me.

During my visit to several fishing communities located along the Andaman
Sea in Trang Province, I interviewed many fisherfolk, both men and women,
who told me their stories. Ian Baird, who speaks fluent Thai, translated
for me, and I wrote many scrupulous notes by hand. After many interviews, I began noticing a common theme about the present problems of these
fisherfolk. Outside investors were ruining their lands by cutting the
mangroves to make way for the shrimp farms. Meanwhile, other industries,
such as the charcoal industry and the trawler fleets, were devastating
their local fishery as well. Earning their livelihoods and supporting their families from their land and from the sea was becoming nearly impossible. Many were being forced to move to the cities to look for work, others succumbed to temptation to make a quick profit by themselves becoming shrimp farmers. Most of these small shrimp ventures failed, and thousand went bankrupt.

There was much talk of political corruption and collusion between
government regulatory officials and the richer industry investors, who were often referred to as the "inflential people." I soon discovered that these "influential people" were more like a sort of industry "mafia", and could be quite dangerous to oppose. In fact, any open opposition could be deadly. In one small fishing village I visited, two men were murdered in the previous five years. Both had opposed the shrimp farms and were killed. No one was ever brought to justice, and the crimes remained unsolved. I found some of the local leaders fearful of speaking out too frankly, some not wishing for their photos to be taken, fearful themselves of deadly repurcussions if their stories were publicized.

One brave, young fisher leader, Mad-Ha Ranwasii, who was the village
headman from Bahn Laemsai village spoke quite openly and lucidly about the
shrimp farms that now threatened the very lives and livelihoods of those
Andaman fishing communities. I had been taking copious notes, as Ian
translated. At first Ranwasii's words were spoken softly, without much
perceived emotion or inflection, then suddenly his voice inflection
changed, and though I could not tell what he was saying, I knew it was
something worth noting. I asked Ian to translate what had just been spoken. Ian stated the following words, which for me became the inspiration --you might say the guiding words-- to help launch the Mangrove Action Project. Both the writer and the activist in me were aroused. He simply and poetically stated:

"If there are no mangrove forests, then the sea will have no meaning. It is like having a tree with no roots, for the mangroves are the roots of the sea.."

Our Coasts, Our Future

Over half the world's human population is concentrated along coastal areas. These important zones also support a vast array of other life dependent upon healthy ocean ecosystems. Yet, today our oceans are
beleagured by overfishing, pollution, and mass destruction of coastal resources via unsustainable forms of modern development. Serious declines in wild fish stocks amid increasing world consumer demands for more fish products have combined to present a dilemma on how best to meet these new challenges.

One proposed solution--aquaculture-- is being highly lauded today by governments, world lending institutes, and industry. Many see it as the next logical step towards solving the above problems, and offering a revolution in modern fisheries--the "Blue Revolution". Following on the heels of agriculture's "Green Revolution", modern aquaculture promised to turn the tide on food production from the seas and waterways, delivering into the world's eager hands the key that unlocks the door to "farming the sea."

Aquaculture might be broadly defined as the establishment of man-made enclosures to raise aquatic life forms, such as shellfish, crustaceans, finfish, and sea weeds for human consumption purposes. The aquaculture process itself is quite ancient, having appeared in traditional, less-intensive forms nearly 2000 or more years ago in Asia and other parts
of the world. The gei wais of Hong Kong, or the tambaks of Indonesia, offer striking examples of traditionally derived forms of aquaculture which still exist today.

Unfortunately, since the advent of more intensive modern industrial aquaculture, serious environmental and social issues have developed.  Millions of indigenous coastal people are being adversely affected, many losing their livelihoods, homes, and cultures to unsustainable aquaculture development. Meanwhile, in the cities and towns of the wealthy consumer nations, where imported fish products are sold in great volumes, little is known of the great hardships created by these "revolutions" in farming the land and the sea. Few consumers of aquaculturally raised products are aware of the many serious problems caused by the incoming tide of the aquaculture industry, where ruin and riches run simultaneously, like two parallel, but opposing sea currents.

Reproduced with permission from Alfredo Quarto, Mangrove Action Project