Coastal Community Network for Sea Guardians: A community-led model for Thai marine conservation
A 3-year project (October 2024–October 2027), jointly founded by the Thai Sea Watch Association (TSWA) and ChangeFusion as co-founding partners, to support 45 small-scale fishing communities along the southern coast in managing marine resources themselves through locally managed marine areas (LMMA). In its first year, the project worked with 15 communities in 4 provinces, covering more than 24,987 rai of marine and coastal areas.
Translated from Thai · reviewed by the CF team
Prove that community-led marine conservation is the most sustainable path towards global marine conservation goals.
How it began
Data showed that the average catch per small-scale fishing boat fell from around 13 tonnes in 2015 to just 3-5 tonnes in 2021. In response, the Thai Sea Watch Association (TSWA), a non-governmental organisation that has worked closely with Thai small-scale fishing communities since the 1980 decade, joined ChangeFusion as a co-founding partner to launch the 3-year Sea Guardians project (October 2024–October 2027). The ECCA Family Foundation joined as a partner from the outset, alongside several marine scientists. The project aims to support 45 small-scale fishing communities along the southern coast in managing marine resources themselves through locally managed marine areas (LMMA), to prove that community-led conservation is a sustainable path towards the global “30x30” marine conservation goal.
Four mechanisms working together in a cycle
The project works through four complementary mechanisms designed to reinforce one another rather than operate separately: LMMA governance, which enables communities to define boundaries, rules and monitoring systems for their areas; collaboration with government agencies and academic partners through memoranda of understanding (MOUs), which give community rules greater legal standing; resource-based economic development that links community income with conservation; and scientific data monitoring systems that enable communities to use evidence to inform decisions.
From the first year to the three-year goal
In its first year (2024–2025), the project worked with 15 communities in 4 southern coastal provinces: Satun, Songkhla, Phatthalung and Nakhon Si Thammarat, covering more than 24,987 rai of marine and coastal areas. In its second year (2025–2026), it will expand to 15 more communities in the same four provinces, bringing the total to 30, with the aim of reaching 45 communities by the third year, in line with the timeline set at the start of the project.
LMMA governance
The Thai Sea Watch Association (TSWA) supports communities in hand-mapping resources, defining LMMA boundaries, establishing committees and setting shared rules for resource use. It has also developed a standard set of 19 LMMA assessment criteria (7 mandatory and 12 additional) to assess each community’s readiness and management quality.
Advancing collaboration
TSWA connects communities with government agencies, academic institutions and civil society through memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that clearly define each party’s role: communities manage their own areas, support organisations help design LMMAs and connect networks, and local government integrates LMMAs into local development plans and budgets.
Economic development
TSWA and ChangeFusion jointly gather input on community needs and develop business models suited to available resources. They then provide seed funding of around 100,000 baht per area to launch activities such as seafood processing, conservation tourism and fishing gear cooperatives. The terms stipulate that 10-20% of profits go back to support LMMA conservation work, while another 5% goes to TSWA’s revolving fund to support other small-scale fishing communities.
Data-driven monitoring system
The project supports every community in collecting its own baseline and follow-up data on species diversity, catch volumes and the weight of catches. It also selects 5 communities with high ecological potential for in-depth research by scientific teams, including eDNA testing, habitat surveys, juvenile fish assessments and size-relationship analysis, to build an ecological database for long-term management planning.
Results from the first year of implementation (October 2024–October 2025) in 15 pilot communities
The impact figures above are from the Sea Guardians Annual Impact Report 2024-2025, which summarises the project’s first year of implementation (October 2024–October 2025).
Data note: All figures reflect conditions after only 1 year of implementation. The monitoring period is still too short to confirm ecosystem recovery with statistical significance. Data on species diversity and catch volumes collected before and after implementation in 2025 rely on only 2 data collection periods (April–May and September–October 2025). This is not enough to distinguish the effects of seasonality, fishing effort or changes in fishing gear from the effects of LMMA management itself.
The areas managed in each province vary according to their ecological context. For example, Satun has restored 1,500 rai of seagrass beds and more than 1,786 rai of mangrove forest, while Nakhon Si Thammarat has declared 3,922 rai in Thasala Bay a conservation area. The total of 24,987.25 rai therefore combines areas that differ considerably in size and ecological characteristics, and should not be interpreted as one uniform conservation area.
Thai Sea Watch Association (TSWA)
The organisation leading the project’s work on the ground has worked closely with Thai small-scale fishing communities since the 1980 decade. It is responsible for all direct work with communities, from establishing LMMAs and negotiating MOUs with government agencies to setting up fisheries data monitoring systems.
ChangeFusion
A co-founding partner of Sea Guardians alongside TSWA from the project’s initial design, ChangeFusion has a clear role in the community economic development pillar. Together with TSWA, it gathers input on community needs and develops business models suited to each area’s resources, while also supporting the design of financial mechanisms for the project’s overall sustainability.
ECCA Family Foundation, Garawake and Watanan Petersik
The project’s main funders, who have placed their trust in the community-led conservation approach from the first year of implementation.
Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and Department of Fisheries
The main government agencies that have co-signed MOUs recognising LMMA areas in several provinces and adopted the 19 LMMA assessment criteria as a basis for developing national recognition standards.
Partner scientists and academic institutions
Marine science teams supporting in-depth studies in 5 pilot communities, including eDNA testing, habitat surveys and juvenile fish assessments, to improve the accuracy of community management planning.
Local government organisations in project areas
These organisations integrate LMMA areas into local development plans and allocate budgets to support ongoing restoration and management. For example, more than 300,000 baht in funding was provided for seagrass and mangrove restoration in Satun.
Expand from 15 to 30 communities in the second year while improving management quality based on lessons from the first year.
Expanding the area in year 2: from 15 to 30 communities
In the second year (2025-2026), the Project will expand its work to 15 new communities in the same four provinces: Satun (Tha Malai, Hua Hin, Rawai, Thung Bu Lang), Songkhla (Bo Yang, Bo It, Na Thap, Pak Chong), Phatthalung (Ko Nang Kham, Ban Klang, Bang Khuan) and Nakhon Si Thammarat (Ko Loi, Bang Po, Ko Phet, Pak Phaya), bringing the total to 30 communities and moving towards the target of 45 communities by the third year, in line with the Project's original timeframe. At the same time, 7 communities from the first year (Khon Khlan, Talo Sai, Thale Nok, Khlong Khut, Na Thap, Nai Thung and Sa Bua) will continue to receive support for economic activities and scientific work.
Improving the quality of LMMA management
Lessons from the first year showed that understanding of LMMA varied among communities, leading to uneven enforcement of rules, particularly those on fishing gear and seasonal bay closures. The Project plans to hold forums to build understanding of LMMA with government agencies at both subdistrict and provincial levels, so that community rules are more aligned with government regulations. It will also adjust its approach to defining LMMA boundaries to focus on "critical habitats" that connect multiple communities, rather than on fishing activities alone.
Addressing bottlenecks in cooperation with government agencies
Overlapping responsibilities among the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Department of Fisheries and local government organisations are a major obstacle, causing some joint measures to lack consistency. The Project therefore plans to establish a local-level LMMA working group with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and the Department of Fisheries to expedite decision-making on overlapping responsibilities. It will also set out a roadmap for formal recognition of areas, with clear timelines (area documentation-survey-announcement), to reduce systemic delays.
Strengthening community economic enterprises
Most community economic enterprises are still at an early stage in areas such as marketing, branding and product standards. TSWA and ChangeFusion therefore plan to develop a central platform system to improve market access and coordination among community enterprises, while strengthening group governance systems, particularly finance and accounting, so that the agreed conservation funds are established in practice and do not remain merely an agreement on paper.
Expanding long-term scientific data monitoring
Because the first year's monitoring period was too short to confirm trends in ecosystem recovery, the Project will strengthen the capacity of communities and field officers in data collection methods and interpretation. It will develop field manuals and standard sampling kits to reduce data discrepancies, and continue monitoring data in the first-year communities across multiple seasons and years, to build a dataset robust enough to track long-term ecological change.
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What change does this work create, and how do we know it is effective?
In the first year, LMMA management systems were established in 15 communities, with 6 MOUs and 19 criteria that the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources took forward for further development. However, the monitoring data period is still too short to confirm ecosystem recovery.
In its first year, Sea Guardians established community-based management mechanisms and collaboration with government agencies, while launching economic ventures and a data-monitoring system. It is still too early to conclude that the sea has recovered as a result of the work. This Project UpdatePublication of the first-year Sea Guardians Impact Report 2024-2025
- Measured results: 15 communities established LMMA management committees, covering an area of 24,987.25 rai, and signed 6 MOUs with a network of 58 agencies. UpdatePublication of the first-year Sea Guardians Impact Report 2024-2025 The 19 LMMA assessment criteria were adopted as a basis for developing national standards, and 258 fisheries volunteers completed training and patrols. This Project
- What is still being developed: A survey conducted over 6-7 months found that income from new economic activities was still lower than income from fishing, although some activities helped increase savings or create job opportunities in the community. UpdateSurvey results from the first 6-7 months of community economic enterprises: Supplementary income has started coming in, but it is still supplementary, not the main income The Project noted that monitoring for just 1 year, with only 2 time points for before-and-after data, was insufficient to confirm a significant ecological recovery trend. This Project
- Next steps: Lessons from the first year indicated that understanding of LMMA varied, government agencies had overlapping mandates, community enterprises were still at an early stage, and the data system had limitations. UpdateFirst-year lessons: Uneven understanding of LMMA and overlapping government mandates are the biggest challenges In the second year, the plan is to expand the work and develop long-term data monitoring. UpdatePlanning for year 2: expanding from 15 to 30 communities, focusing on unresolved issues from the first year
How was this work carried out, and what lessons can be applied going forward?
We use community-based LMMA management, link it to MOUs with government agencies, develop economies that support conservation, and monitor scientific data. The lesson is to adapt rules, collaboration and data systems to suit each area.
Sea Guardians works through 4 connected mechanisms: communities define LMMA zones and rules; collaboration is built with government agencies and academic partners; economic ventures are developed to link income with conservation; and communities collect data to inform decision-making. This Project
- Start with community management: TSWA supports resource mapping, boundary setting, the establishment of committees and the development of shared rules for resource use, using 19 LMMA assessment criteria. This Project
- Link conservation with collaboration and livelihoods: MOUs define the roles of communities, supporting organisations and local government, while community enterprises are designed around local resources and needs, with 10-20% of profits allocated to support LMMA work. This Project
- Collect data and adapt the approach: Communities monitor aquatic species, quantities and weights, while some communities receive additional ecological studies. This Project Lessons from the first year were that understanding of LMMA and enforcement of rules varied, government agencies' mandates overlapped, economic ventures still needed to develop their markets and governance, and short-term data could not establish ecosystem trends. UpdateFirst-year lessons: Uneven understanding of LMMA and overlapping government mandates are the biggest challenges The project therefore plans to build shared understanding with government, establish area-level working groups and collect data across multiple seasons. UpdatePlanning for year 2: expanding from 15 to 30 communities, focusing on unresolved issues from the first year
What types of areas is this approach suitable for, and what do we need in order to get started in our area?
This approach starts with communities that are ready to organise, and can be adapted to both open-sea and lake ecosystems. However, we have not documented eligibility criteria or the minimum resources a site needs.
Sea Guardians has piloted its work in coastal areas with different ecological contexts, including the open sea on the Andaman coast and the Gulf of Thailand, as well as the brackish-water ecosystem of Songkhla Lake. Communities were selected based on their readiness to organise. UpdateBeginning work with the first 15 communities in 4 southern coastal provinces This experience shows that LMMA does not need to take the same form everywhere. For example, some areas jointly manage a single zone, while others maintain separate systems and coordinate through an MOU. UpdateYear one closes with 6 MOUs covering 58 agencies across all 4 provinces Update"2 communities, 2 systems, 1 MOU": Talo Sai and Lom Pun show that cooperation does not have to be centralised
To get started in our area, we could consider organising the community, mapping and assessing resources, defining boundaries and rules that the community jointly accepts, establishing a committee, and setting up a system for monitoring data. This Project If government agencies or local organisations are involved, an MOU can help define roles and link community rules with agency support. UpdateYear one closes with 6 MOUs covering 58 agencies across all 4 provinces
We have not yet documented minimum eligibility criteria for an area or community, such as the required area size and resources.
What methods or tools can we start using right away?
The tools communities use include resource maps, LMMA rules and committees, patrols, and aquatic species data records, starting with what the community can manage and monitor.
The tools Sea Guardians uses begin with communities working together; there is no need to start with a complex system. The Project supports communities to map resources, define LMMA boundaries, establish committees, and set rules for the shared use of resources. This Project
- Organising areas and setting rules: Communities may identify areas under their care and key sites, agree on rules for no-take zones, seasonal fishing closures, or fishing gear, and assign responsibilities and ways to monitor compliance. This Project
- Monitoring with baseline data: Community fisheries volunteers collect data on species, quantities, and the weight of aquatic animals. Data is collected before measures begin and then monitored again to inform decision-making. UpdateSetting up a community-based fisheries data monitoring system and collecting baseline data before management begins The Project also uses 19 LMMA assessment criteria as a framework for assessing readiness and the quality of management. This Project
- Connecting conservation with livelihoods: Examples of activities developed by communities include processing aquatic products, ecotourism, and fishing gear cooperatives, designed so that some of the income goes back to support conservation work. UpdateLaunching the community economy pillar: TSWA and ChangeFusion provide seed funding to 7 communities to develop resource-based businesses Monitoring results from the first year are still too limited to confirm ecosystem recovery, so data should continue to be collected before drawing conclusions. This Project
How does this work connect to systemic issues, and what kind of collaboration is needed?
This work connects the decline of natural resources with the market constraints faced by small-scale fishers. It therefore needs to strengthen community management authority, government mechanisms, scientific data and an economy that supports conservation.
Sea Guardians sees the decline of marine resources and falling catches as linked to the economic vulnerability of small-scale fishers, who face limited markets and weak bargaining power over prices. Conservation must therefore be connected to livelihood security, rather than placing the burden solely on communities. IssueSeas and Coasts
First-year lessons showed that understanding of LMMA and the use of rules were inconsistent. Responsibilities overlapped between the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Department of Fisheries and local government organisations. Community enterprises still need to develop their markets and governance, and short-term monitoring data are not yet sufficient to assess ecological change. UpdateFirst-year lessons: Uneven understanding of LMMA and overlapping government mandates are the biggest challenges
We are therefore seeking different forms of collaboration, not just funding. These include government agencies to jointly design a system for recognising LMMA areas with clear legal status; organisations and academics to help develop ecological data systems; funding partners for economic mechanisms that link income with conservation; and private-sector partners or market channels to help community products and services reach consumers. IssueSeas and Coasts