3. DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

3.1 Macro-policy and national development plan

Fisheries Development policies are an integral part of the National Economic and Social Development Plan, as well as of the Agriculture development plan. At present, the eighth national plan is being implemented (1997-2001). The plan seeks to:

(i) foster and develop the potential of all Thais to adapt to changing social and economic conditions,

(ii) develop a stable society, strengthen family and community, support human development, improve quality of life and promote increasing community participation in the national development,

(iii) promote stable and sustainable economic growth, to empower the people to assume a greater role in the development process and receive a fair share of the benefits of growth to utilize, preserve and rehabilitate the environment and natural resources in such a way that they can play a major role in economic and social development and contribute to a better quality of life for the Thai people, and

(iv) reform the system of public administration to allow greater participation of non-government organizations, the private sector, communities and the general public in the process of national development.

Strategies and measures of the eighth agricultural development plan[33] are summarized as follows:

Competitiveness, through measures such as:

• increased production efficiency and reduced investment costs,
• promotion of insurance for agricultural commodities and for selected fishery equipment,
• stressing the importance of price stability for agricultural merchandise and domestic market prices and establishing central, regional and future markets.
• Conservation of natural resources and sustainable development of agriculture through many measures such as, for example,
• the designation of agricultural production zones in order to ensure appropriate use of agricultural lands.

Development of human resources and agricultural institutions by:

• stressing the importance of credit,
• accelerating the distribution of ownership of land to poor farmers,
• allowing more choices in selecting occupations,
• promoting available low interest credit, and
• promoting participation of the private sector in developing agricultural organizations.

3.3 Fisheries development plan

The macro-policy pertaining to aquaculture is to increase fisheries production from aquaculture at a rate of 5% a year. Output from freshwater aquaculture is aimed mainly at domestic consumption, whereas coastal aquaculture is intended for domestic consumption as well as for export. Goals are to be achieved through:

• increasing efficiency of production through improved management and culture techniques,
• improving compatibility of aquaculture production systems with the environment
• developing and rehabilitating needed infrastructures for expanding production and trade.

3.4 Aquaculture development plan for the future (2001-2020)

The Department of Fisheries, jointly with Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-pacific (NACA), has drafted the Thai Aquaculture Development Plan for the years 2001-2020. It strives to increase the role of the sector, maintain the importance of low-input aquaculture as a source of protein for domestic consumption, and to develop a highly competitive, sustainable aquaculture industry to meet consumer demand for cultivated aquatic food and products. These products are to be high quality, safe, competitively priced and nutritious and are to be produced in an environmentally responsible manner with maximum opportunities for profitability and export in all sectors of the industry. Objectives of the development plan are to:

(i) make the Thai aquaculture industry competitive in a global market place through:

• increased efficiency and profitability of production systems,
• improved aquaculture production-system techniques,
• improved sustainability and environmental compatibility of aquaculture production,
• assured quality and safety of aquatic products,
• improved marketing,
• improved technology-transfer, information-dissemination, and access to global information about the sector and technologies in aquaculture;

(ii) reduce the fisheries' trade deficit through increased aquaculture production and significantly increase exports of aquatic products,

(iii) ensure that aquaculture development contributes to job creation and growth of the Thai economy,

(iv) ensure that the industry's long-term development is sustainable and reflects compatible, responsible environmental stewardship,

(v) provide Thai consumers with domestically produced, high quality, safe, competitively priced, and wholesome products from aquaculture,

(vi) develop information for consumers and educate customers and retailers about the nutritional composition, characteristics, proper handling, presentation, and preparation of aquatic products and their variety,

(v) establish and maintain world leadership in fundamental science in support of Thai aquacultural development,

(vi) enhance partnerships in support of aquaculture within local and government agencies and with the private sector,

(vii) encourage aquaculture's contribution to the enhancement, protection, and maintenance of public and private aquatic resources,

(viii) evaluate the potential for development of alternative species for aquaculture, production systems, and markets, and

(ix) evaluate options for improving the regulatory framework for aquaculture to support involvement of both commercial and public sectors.

The Office of Land Reform, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, is concerned with the policy and planning of accelerated land-distribution and promotion of land-tenure for agriculturists. Based on the Land Reform Act of 1975, promotion of land-ownership has been pursued with a view to fully utilizing available idle land and to solving the problems of limited land resources and high rents faced by poor farmers. To assign ownership of land to those working in agriculture, will also alleviate the problem of lack of access to credit, since land is used as collateral.

The Ministry of Commerce is concerned with broad aspects relating to both domestic and international trade. One of its policies is to promote and support a free economy through market mechanisms, together with controlling and monitoring fair trade to prevent both direct and indirect monopolies. The Ministry's policies strive to:

(i) promote a free, competitive market by

• establishing effective tools to prevent monopolies and to develop effective law enforcement,
• modifying relevant regulations in support of free competition and devising rules for the private sector to self-monitor with minimal government interference,
• improving administrative mechanisms for setting prices of agricultural products,
• encouraging the private sector and government agencies involved in the promotion of free competition,

(ii) promote and develop fair trade by:

• developing consumer protection laws to serve new modes of trading, such as direct sales and franchises,
• promoting fair and transparent rules for trading, which should be designed by the private sector in cooperation with the consumer.