RESILIENT COMMUNITY CRAB BANKS: INSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THAILAND'S SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY

Keokam Kraisoraphong

doi:10.14456/tisr.2026.22

Authors

Keokam KRAISORAPHONG Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/tisr.2026.22

Keywords:

Community Crab Banks, Institutional Resilience, Blue Economy Development, Common-Pool Resource Management, Blue Justice

Abstract

This article synthesizes a seven-year research initiative (2018–2024) evaluating the expansion of 565 community blue swimming crab banks across 20 coastal provinces in Thailand. The study examines how these local initiatives build institutional resilience and function as effective mechanisms for a sustainable blue economy. Utilizing an integrated analytical framework encompassing common-pool resource management, community resilience, and blue justice, the research identifies four fundamental pillars of institutional stability: robust community ownership, proactive social and market support, state facilitation through researcher networks, and transparent governance systems. The findings empirically show that when these four forces work together, community crab banks meet the core dimensions of the Blue Economy Development Framework (BEDF): sustainable fisheries, community adaptive capacity, and long-term economic viability. Ultimately, this research argues that the institutional stability of community crab banks is a critical precondition for ecological sustainability, effectively transforming a micro-level conservation tool into a macro-level driver of an inclusive, just, and sustainable blue economy.

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