Thailand – The Fisherfolk Shop is a company owned by traditional Thai fisherfolks who are members of the Federation of Thai Fisherfolks Association (FTFA). The shop operates with three commitments:
- Commitment to the community (to strengthen the fishers’ communities and to conserve and rehabilitate the marine natural resources)
- Commitment to the traditional fishers (to improve their livelihood)
- Commitment to the consumers (to produce good and safe food, to promote responsible consumption, and to engage them in the conservation of natural resources)
On average, the shop can deliver four tons of seafood per year to the consumers. The shop has several branches in Bangkok: the full-service shop and several distribution outlets for online purchase pick-up points and delivery. There are also two shops in the provinces for buying seafood from the fisherfolks, selling to local consumers, quality checking, preparing and packaging the seafood products, and transporting these to shops in Bangkok. The company sells the products to individual consumers and also to Lemon Farm supermarket which has a background in social responsibility.
FTFA’s Fisher Shop demonstrates an innovative supply chain. It is the creation of a fair market that sells safe seafood caught and produced by its members in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner. The Blue Brand quality established by the FTFA is fit to international standards. It is a brand that produces safe and good food for a fair price.
In the conventional supply chain, seafood products from small scale fisherfolks undergo several layers of middlemen before reaching the consumers. Additionally, seafood is collected from many different producers so the quality is not guaranteed. It is difficult to trace whether the seafood was caught using destructive fishing gears or through non-sustainable fishing practices or if toxic chemicals such as formalin are added to the products.
The innovative feature of the Fisher Shop are:
- The Fisher Shop is a company owned by small scale fisherfolks who are members of FTFA. It is not cooperative.
- The Fisher Shop reduces the gap between the producers and the consumers. Seafood products are collected from FTFA members and delivered quickly through a shorter supply chain.
- The Fisher Shop provides incentive prices (5 % to 20 % higher than the market price) for the members so that they will choose the alternative way to maintain the quality of the products without using toxic chemicals such as formalin.
- The Fisher Shop accepts seafood products from the members who use only non-destructive fishing gears, who can identify the origin of their products, and who participate in the marine natural resources conservation activities.
- The Fisher Shop has its own seafood standard “Blue Brand”, which is equivalent to international standards. FTFA members are trained to follow the standard. Some members were trained to perform quality inspections.
- The Fisher Shop provides knowledge about processing and packaging. The products are packed using the vacuum sealing method to keep them fresh without using chemicals.
The Fisher Shop is a competitive company. For the past three years, the company has reached at least 1,000 consumers and its revenue has increased by at least 30%. More traditional fisherfolks are becoming interesting to join so the company is considering opening branches in two more provinces and several outlets in Bangkok.
For the producers
- The fisherfolks who sell their products to the shop gain 20% higher income compared to the income they gained before the company was established.
- The participating fisherfolks gain awareness about the significance of conserving and rehabilitating natural resources as well as employing sustainable fishing practices. The fisherfolks only employ non-destructive fishing gears.
- They get incentive remuneration for using alternative ways of keeping the seafood fresh and completely not using formalin.
- FTFA’s “Blue Brand” seafood safety standard is easy and effective. It encourages the fisherfolks to ensure the quality and safety of their seafood products. Many fisherfolks are trained to follow the standard and some are trained to be quality inspectors.
For the community
- Part of the company’s profits is returned to the communities of the fisherfolks. The Fisher Shop supports the community funds for conservation and rehabilitation of the environment in five areas which are the production bases for the shop.
For the environment
- The marine and coastal natural resources are well rehabilitated, thus it became a rich source of seafood for the fisherfolk communities as evident in the 20% increase of the seafood volume caught in the communities.
For the consumers
- From the interview with the consumers, they are satisfied with the safe seafood and they support the sea conservation and rehabilitation activities of the fisherfolks.
Facilitating Factors
- The self-developed Blue Brand seafood standard is an easy and effective tool to guarantee that the products are safe.
- The strong organization of the fisherfolks (FTFA)
- The long term activities of FTFA in promoting sustainable fishing practices and campaign against the destructive fishing gears to ensure supply of seafood and conservation of natural resources
Challenges
- The current laws and regulations of Thailand (which are in favor of large scale fishing industry and destructive fishing practices) restrict the practices of traditional fisherfolks in the country.
- Lack of staff that are capable in management and marketing
Lessons Learned
- The staff of the Fisher Shop company must have sufficient management and marketing skills.
- The company must increase its efforts to expand the market and to reach new consumers.
- The company must communicate with the consumers, both individuals, and the supermarkets, about the cost structure and the benefit for the communities and the environment.
- The Blue Brand is an easy and effective food safety standard. The company can use it to communicate with the consumers and increase the value of the products.
Recommendations
- The state must review laws and regulations that restrict the small-scale fishery of the traditional fisherfolks.
- The state and communities must continue their collaboration in the conservation and rehabilitation of marine and coastal natural resources.
Related Stories
https://www.matichonweekly.com/scoop/article_17942
http://www.posttoday.com/local/scoop/378420
http://www.setsocialimpact.com/Company/Profile/105
http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/651374
http://www.nationtv.tv/main/content/social/378463420/
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