The state and its agencies in coastal resources management: The political ecology of fisheries management in Pattani, southern Thailand

May Tan-Mullins

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

46 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Various stakeholders contribute to the current state of resource management in the inshore fisheries of Pattani, southern Thailand. Taking the state, empowered by national legislation, as the main agent of enforcement, this paper uses an actor-oriented approach derived from political ecology to evaluate how key agents in state agencies at provincial and district levels translate Thai political and legal systems at the local level; more specifically, how cross-scalar institutional linkages and translations affect coastal resources management and the access of village-based, small-scale fishermen to coastal resources. The paper shows that trans-scalar interpretations have created a space of contestation and negotiation in resource governance at the local level that reveals intrastate tensions. Based on extensive fieldwork, the paper demonstrates that access to environmental resources at the local level is highly influenced or regulated by the unequal power relations between different actors at various levels.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)348-361
Number of pages14
JournalSingapore Journal of Tropical Geography
Volume28
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Coastal resources management
  • Inshore fisheries
  • Political ecology
  • Southern Thailand

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development
  • Earth-Surface Processes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The state and its agencies in coastal resources management: The political ecology of fisheries management in Pattani, southern Thailand'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this