The
afternoon has been hot and cloudy but now the rain starts to
pour. Fisherman Aris Ningrawee does not take shelter but instead
braves the rain to wait for the Thai Red Cross officers. He
is joined by 19 other fish farmers at Baan Khao Nok. Some row
their boat to shore; others walk down from the village. They
come because the visitors have offered each of them 500 fish
and a chance to rebuild their livelihoods.
The Thai Red Cross officers arrive in a truck loaded with big
plastic buckets filled with Pla Ga Phong Khao (white sea bass).
The farmers queue up to receive their share of the fish, which
they will feed and tend for a year until they are large enough
to sell.
Baan Khao Nok in Phang Nga province was not hardest hit by the
tsunami in December 2004. No one died and no houses were damaged
but all the sea bass fishing farms were destroyed – and
with them went any hope of making a living.
Funded by the International Federation’s Thailand Tsunami
Recovery Programme, the fishing project covers Phang Nga, Phuket,
Trang, Satun, Krabi and Ranong, all coastal provinces affected
by the tsunami. The project is worth some 11 million baht.
“The fish offered are a tremendous help to us,”
says Aris. “It is much more useful than giving us money.
We will have a job and something to do for a living. And the
more fish we have to feed, the more money we can earn.
“Previously, I had no debts and could save 20,000 to 30,000
baht a month. Now I and other villagers have huge debts. The
situation is worse because the price we get for sea bass has
almost halved yet we still have expenses for fuel and fish food.”
The fish farmers were given 20,000 baht each by the Fishery
Department to compensate for the damage caused. The money took
six months to arrive and was quickly used up in rebuilding the
floating baskets and replacing the fishing equipment.
Before the disaster, the fish farmers sold their fish direct
to middle-man merchants. Now, the merchants buy the sea bass
in the east or abroad. “The market is growing more competitive,”
explains Aris. “This is especially as sea bass from Indonesia
and Vietnam are much cheaper. We used to sell about 1,000 fish
a month but now it is no more than 500.
“Fishing is our livelihood. I wouldn’t know what
to do otherwise.”
Some 8,000 fish have already been provided to fishermen in Baan
Khao Nok and the nearby village of Huay Mai Pai. They were brought
in from Krabi province and distributed in three stages. They
are monitored at each stage to ensure they are good quality
and able to survive well in sea water.
The 11 million baht is not much to cover all fish farmers in
the selected areas affected by the tsunami. The cost for Kao
Yao Noi and Kao Yao Yai in Trang province alone is some 1.5
million baht.
“I am pleased and happy with the project,” says
Susanna Soderstrom, Thailand Tsunami Recovery Programme Coordinator,
who is representing the Federation at the distribution. “It’s
successful in two ways: it gives them something to occupy themselves
and it provides a long-term, sustainable business for them to
carry on. We hope the fish will help the farmers and their families.”
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Funded
by the International Federation’s Thailand Tsunami
Recovery Programme, the fishing project covers Phang Nga,
Phuket, Trang, Satun, Krabi and Ranong, all coastal provinces
affected by the tsunami. Here the fishing village at Baan
Khao Nok in Phang Nga. (p14223)
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Baan
Khao Nok in Phang Nga province was not hardest hit by
the tsunami in December 2004. No one died and no houses
were damaged but all the sea bass fishing farms were destroyed
– and with them went any hope of making a living.
(p14219)
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The
Thai Red Cross officers arrive in a truck loaded with
big plastic buckets filled with Pla Ga Phong Khao (white
sea bass). The farmers queue up to receive their share
of the fish, which they will feed and tend for a year
until they are large enough to sell. (p14225)
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8,000 fish have already been provided to fishermen in
Baan Khao Nok and the nearby village of Huay Mai Pai.
(p14220) |
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| Group
of fishing farmers with Thailand Red Cross officers at
Baan Khao Nok. “Fish offering is much more useful
for us than giving us money. This helps us a lot for the
long term investment. We will have a job and something
to do for a living. And the more fish we have to feed,
the higher income we can earn,” fishermen said.
(p14224) |
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