WORKING TO KEEP A TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY AFLOAT

       Dams have their pros and cons while providing electricity for millions, they can also devastate nearby communities.The Fishery Village Baan Huay Charoen project was initiated as a pilot project in early 2000 after Her Majesty the Queen expressed concern over the Sirikit dam's impact on Uttaradit province's Tha Pla community.
       The project aims to help villagers support their family by raising fish and,at the same time, promoting Fishery Village as a tourism destination. Army units based in Uttaradit are responsible for the project which receives support from various state institutions and nearby private companies.
       Initially, the project faced problems such as a lack of proper management and technical knowledge - as well as a market for its fish. In 2005, most of the 25 participating households who lived in raft houses in the Lum Nam Nan National Park started to leave the project in search of a better income.
       In 2007, Charoen Pokphand Food Plc (CPF) was invited to provide technical assistance on full-cycle fish raising,which covers production, management and marketing.
       Agricultural projects such as this require not only funding but also the knowledge of how to raise high-quality products that match the market's needs on a limited budget, said Adit Krisanawong, a CPF senior vicepresident.
       "The agricultural market increasingly embraces organic products and under this project villagers can raise fish in the Sirikit dam without using chemicals and let them grow in a natural way," he said.
       "If we can convince consumers of how the products are safe for their health,this will lead to a sustainable income."
       CPF suggested switching from pla nil (tilapia or alutera monceros) to pla tub tim (oreochromis niloticus), which the market prefers. The new model was tested for a year using military personnel and after it proved successful the villagers were asked to join again in 2008.
       "We help to find the market for the fish and help villagers plan for the market risk, as we do not help guarantee the prices," said Mr Adit.
       "Also, in order to sustain the project,villagers have to learn financial and management plans to keep the project going."
       The company has lent 805,500 baht without charging interest to provide each household with five kra-chang (a hinged-floating basket for keeping fish in water). Each kra-chang contains 1,500 fish and fish food is also provided.
       The fish are harvested twice a year,as they take about five months to grow big enough to be sold.
       About 5% of the proceeds from sales of the fish goes to the company to finance the continuation of the project and the rest is kept by participants.
       One of the scheme's early members,Ampuay Chompoonoi, returned to his hometown to rejoin the project on the invitation of the provincial army last year after leaving to make movie sets in Bangkok for two years.
       The 42-year-old Uttaradit native said he and his brother are currently the only two civilians participating in the Fishery Village project, along with three soldiers.
       "It didn't go that well when I first joined the project as there was no market for pla nil and no fish food support,"he said."But this time it's easier as all we need to focus on is to raise our fish well and [CPF] will take care of the market for us."
       The father of two said he earned about 80,000 baht from his previous raising, which started in November last year. Profit per kra-chang is estimated at about 3,000 to 5,000 baht.
       Mr Ampuay usually makes about 10,000 baht a month from his fruit fields and from fishing and selling his catch himself.
       "I wouldn't do it without the financial support from the company as I can't make a living out of raising fish alone since it takes four to five months before you can generate income from it," he said.
       Supree Baosingsauy, general manager of the Rural Lives Development Foundation established by CPF, said the project is expected to lure back more community members that have left to work elsewhere.